Buried Truths
by DREbrokenAMS
Summary: Keia always knew she was different from her friends, she just never knew how. Now that she's discovered some startling information, she sets off to find out who she really is. Will she succeed, or die trying to find out? AU. completely redone.
1. Shocking News

**A/N- Okay, so I had this story posted, then at 2 am one morning, I decided to take it down and do some editing. I've combined chapters to make them longer, and I've edited quite a bit. This is my first Naruto fic, the characters will get a little out of character, but that goes along with the plot. So if you don't like that, don't read. Please review when your done! Thanks!! ♥**

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Disclaimer- The only thing I own in this story is the plot, and the character Keiatami...and anything else you don't recognize. O.o

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**Keiatami POV**

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_Journal,_

_I don't know how or why. I've been told I was born in Konoha, for as long as I can remember, I've lived in Konoha. So why is this happening to me? I know that I was raised here, because I have my memories of going to the ninja academy with my friends- Sakura, Shikamaru, Naruto, Ino, Chouji, Kiba, and Hinata. Whenever we were to work on our skills, we always helped each other. We were friends, and we knew each other, we helped each other, not just with overcoming weaknesses, but with other areas in our lives too. I've always felt different from them though, singled out. I never knew why until now. I want to go to them, I want to get their help, but I don't think they can help me with this, they wouldn't know how because they can't do it. They can't control the sand like I do._

_I know that if I can control sand, it must be almost impossible that I'm from Konoha. I mean, I love this village, its my home, and it always will be. I would've given everything to help it prosper and keep it safe, but now, I'm not so sure. I mean, I don't even know if my parents are my real parents! This village that I've grown to love, has lied to me. I wish I hadn't even discovered the stupid technique. It makes me doubt everything I've ever been told, everything I've ever learned. It makes me doubt who I am, or who I think I am...I don't even know who I am anymore. Am I really Keiatami Solaou, or am I some reject child from a different village? My name could be Tofu for all I know! I really wish that stupid Ninja hadn't snuck up on me and trapped me like that, if he hadn't done that, I would still be happy, I'd still think I know who I am. Now, I don't know, I don't know anything, anything at all. I wish I could have killed him. Stupid ANBU patrolling the area, stupid me for screaming out of fright, stupid ANBU for coming so fast and taking him away. Stupid, Stupid, STUPID!!!!!!_

_I need to get away. I know, I'll go to the forest. I can think there, It's quiet there, or it should be. I'll find a place, I will figure out who I am, even if I die trying._

_**-Keia**_

I get up from my bed and put my journal in it's hiding spot. I slide it up under the mattress so far its almost in the middle of it, then I head downstairs. "Mom, I'm going out for a little while." I stop by the kitchen to let her know that I'll be gone.

"Okay honey, just be back in time for dinner, alright?" She directs her focus from her cookbook to me.

"I'll try." I turn to leave but she stops me.

"You better do more than try. You need to be here, it's a celebration! Your father got promoted!" She sounds so enthusiastic I want to wretch.

"I'll do my best." I say, then I leave before she can stop me again.

I walk down the streets of the village, and everything seems to be different. It doesn't seem...well, real. I lower my head and stare at the ground as I walk, after all, I shouldn't hold my head high as if I'm proud, how could I be proud of someone I don't even know? A small soccer ball rolls into my view and I pick it up. I look up and see a group of little kids waving their hands and calling out for me to toss it to them. I smile at them as I toss it back to them, and they shout their thanks. _'I wish I was like them, their only worry is who's going to win the game.' _I think bitterly. I walk on past them as they continue playing. By the time I reach the forest, the sun is high in the sky, and the temperature is rising. I venture into the forest in search of the river that runs through it, and some shade to sit in and think.

After I drink a bit of water from the river, I sit down under a rather large tree and lean my back against it. I watch as a butterfly flies around my head then lands on a flower not too far from me. "You have an easy life, don't you?" I ask it. "You don't have to worry about not knowing who you are, or what's truth and what's not, or if your life has a been a lie. All you have to do is fly around and drink and eat, huh?" I stare the butterfly wishing it could answer me.

"I don't think it's going to answer you." I hear the tired voice come from behind me. I jump up and turn around to find a worn-out woman lean against the tree I had been resting on.

"Who are you?" I ask pulling out a kunai, getting ready to fight if someone else attacks.

"No need to get out that weapon, honey, I'm alone and tired. I'm not going to fight you." She says kneeling down by the river and taking a drink. I keep my kunai in my hand and stay alert remembering my sensei's words, _'Never lower your guard. The enemy will always try to get you to relax and lower your guard, as soon as you do, they'll strike. Always be ready to defend yourself, always stay alert.' _I watch the woman as she drinks._ '...she doesn't seem like she wants to hurt me, but what is she doing here? Who is she...hey! She never answered my question!!!'_

"Who are you?" I repeat as she stands up from drinking. _'...she seems oddly familiar. But I can't know her, she's from the Sand village.' _I think noticing her headband. _'Still, I know I've seen her somewhere...I just don't know where...' _my thoughts trail off as she finally answers my question.

"I'm a kunoichi from Suna. I came here on a mission." I tense at her words and get ready for her to attack. "Not a mission from the Kazekage, but on a mission for myself...I need to find someone." She sits down where I had been resting and looks up at me. "I told you, your safe, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm here alone." She assures me after noticing I still held my weapon.

I give her an unsure look, but slowly lower my weapon, keeping it in my hand-just in case. "Who are you looking for?" I'm ashamed of myself for wanting to know more about her, after all, the less I know, the safer I am.

"A person I lost years ago. They were stolen from me, and I've been trying to find them since." She sighs and looks out across the river. "I finally found out that they were here, in Konoha, and came to see them." She keeps her gaze focused across the river. I glance over there but I don't see anything abnormal about it and look back at the womans' face.

"Have you found them yet?" I ask, wondering if I know the person she's looking for. I see a ghost of a smile graces her tired features before disappearing.

"I'm not sure, I think I have, but I wouldn't really know. I couldn't just go up to them and ask if they were who I'm seeking, they wouldn't know." She pauses and takes a deep breath. "You see, this person I lost, she's very precious to me. She was taken when she was very young, and she was too young to remember me, I didn't come to take her back, I just came to make sure she's doing alright." The woman stops talking and I see a single tear fall from her eye, roll down her cheek, and fall onto the grass beside her.

"How old would she be now?" Something inside of me urges me to comfort the woman, but I fight it, I don't know her, and wanting to help her can't be a good sign.

"I think she would be around 14 right now, yes, she'd be 14. She'll be 15 in a week." She gets a far away look on her face and I figure she's watching a memory play in her mind's eye.

"Really? A week? I'll be 15 in a week too! I might now her! What's her name?" By now, I realize I've lost the fight against the urge to help her. Damn my caring side!

"Oh, I couldn't tell you, I wouldn't want to trouble her life right now. She's probably happy with the life she's living, I don't want to mess that up for her." She gives me a small smile and I return it half-heartedly.

"She's probably fine. I mean, every girl I know around my age is happy, well except me, but I don't really count do I?" I try to reassure her.

"Why aren't you happy? Of course you count, everyone counts." The woman looks at me with a troubled expression. I hadn't noticed that I'd asked the question, until she answered it.

"I've just...discovered...some things about myself and it's made me doubt things that I thought were unquestionable." I look across the river trying to avoid the womans' gaze.

"Maybe you should ask your parents about the things you've discovered, I'm sure they would be able to help." She offers.

"I would, except, I'm not sure if they are my parents..." I let my words trail off as I realize just how deep they cut me. My eyes water and I try to stop the tears, but a few flow down my face anyway. I wipe them away with the back of my hand, hoping the woman hadn't noticed. _'Kunoichi are supposed to be strong, we're supposed to be able to control our emotions, we're not supposed to let them show! Control yourself Keia, you don't want this woman to think that Konoha is raising weak kunoichi.'_ I reprimand myself.

"One of the worst feelings in the word is doubting things you thought were unquestionable, the only thing that makes that worse, is not having someone there to help you through your doubts. Not knowing if your parents are your true parents, must be very hard." I nod my head as she pauses, she takes a shaky breath and continues, "You need to confront about it, ask them if they are your true parents, and you will be able to notice if they lie to you. Your a smart girl, Keiatami."

"Thank y-" I break off as the realization hits me harder than a well aimed kunai. _**I didn't tell her my name.**_ I look up to ask her how she knew my name, but she seems to have disappeared. I get up and walk home, leaving the forest more confused than when I had entered it.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

I take my seat at the table as my mother sets the last dish on the table. I watch as my parents start a conversation and start to eat, wondering when to ask them my question. My mother looks over at me and a small frown appears on her face. "Keiatami, are you okay? Why aren't you eating?" She asks picking up a small piece of chicken with her chopsticks.

_'Now is a good a time as any..'_ I think before blurting out, "Your not my real parents, are you?" My mother gasps and drops her chopsticks and my father starts to choke on the food he had just swallowed. My mom pats him on the back and he takes a sip of water. As soon as he stops coughing he looks at me seriously as my mom's eyes widen in shock as my questions sinks in deeper.

"Keiatami, I think it's time that we have a talk." My father says softly. My eyes widen a little in shock, this wasn't the answer I had been expecting.

"Dear, we shouldn't-" My mom starts but my father cuts her off,

"She has a right to know Sarabi."

"But she's only-" My mom argues with him as I look on in disbelief.

"It doesn't matter how old she is, Sarabi. She obviously found something out, or else she wouldn't have asked. I'm going to tell her, she deserves to know." My father says sternly ending the conversation with my mother. He looks over at me and I quickly look down at my plate. "Keiatami, we're going to finish dinner, then I'll tell you everything we know." I look up at him and give him a half smile as my mother goes on eating angrily.

"Thank you." I say before serving myself and eating. We finish the meal in silence, then relocate to the living room.

"Keiatami, I want you to know that we love you very much, but there's something you should know." He leans back on the couch and takes a deep breath before looking across the coffee table at me as I curl up in the recliner. Here I was, getting the information I longed for, and yet, I didn't want to hear a single syllable of what he was saying.

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**A/N- there ya have it! The new version of my same story!! And I started it all at around 4 am and now its 5 am, so I'm going to bed! Hope you enjoyed it, I think I actually know how to get on with it now...**

**PLEASE leave me a review! I really want to know what you think!!**

♥


	2. The Setback

**A/N- So yea, this chapter is letting you in on quite a bit that I left out of the last chapter. I really don't know why I'm writing this now, because I actually had it planned for later, but oh well...I wrote it. lol Thanks to Pigglez, billys-green-soup, and isanehyuuhei**** for the reviews! I ♥ ya'll for reviewing!!! Here's the next chapter!!**

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Disclaimer: If you don't recognize it, then I probably own it.

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_Sometimes you've got to run away, just to see who cares enough to chase after you.♥_

_-unknown _

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**Keiatami POV**

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I take off into the forest, running, running away. Running away from my problems, parents, my old life, everything. This seems like the only way to escape the lies, the lies that created my life. I look through the branches above me and jump higher in the tree until I'm at the very top. I look towards the west and see the sun setting, so I jump down to the middle of the tree and settle in the crook of two limbs to make a temporary bed for myself. As the limbs cradle my body, I think back on the days events. 

**-flashback-**

I wake up to my alarm blaring, I hit the snooze button and turn over falling back asleep. The alarm goes off again and sitting up, I turn it off. I climb out of bed, get my shower, change into my clothes, and dry my hair before remembering the 'talk' I'd had with my parents last night. I find my bag I carry with me on missions and sneak downstairs while my parents start to wake up. I pack as much non-perishable food as I can in my bag and quietly run back upstairs to fix breakfast. I pack five changes of clothes, figuring I could wash them in a river or stream along the way. I walk into my bathroom and pack the toiletries I'll need, then I leave my pack on my bad as I go downstairs for breakfast.

My parents act as if nothing has changed and I play along. I eat quickly, then go back up to my room and climb out of my window to set my bag in the tree outside my window. When I'm sure it's well hidden, I crawl back into my room and shut the window. Going back downstairs, I tell my parents good-bye and head out to be with my friends for what could be the last time in a long time. I find them in the park talking about what to do. I walk up and join them; we decide to see a movie, grab lunch, then hang out at the park.

After hanging out for several hours, we all start to head home for dinner. Hinata and I walk together after we pass the others' homes.

"...Hinata, can I ask you a question?" I say quietly as we walk down the street.

"Of course, Keia. What is it?" She looks over at me and I stop walking.

"If I told you a friend of yours was going to run away, but come back after she found the answer to her question, " I add as she gasps, " would you try to stop her, or tell others and get them to try and stop her?" I finish quickly and look down at my feet. She seems to think it over for a few minutes before answering.

"I would definitely try to stop them, and if I couldn't, then I'd probably tell someone else, to see if they could stop her, why? Who do you know that is going to run away?" She asks slowly.

I stay silent and walk on towards my street. "Keia? Who is it?" She asks again.

"I have to know who my real parents are!" I blurt out against my will. Hinata gasps and grabs my arm.

"Keia, you can't run away! Not by yourself! It's too dangerous! Can't you find that information out from the Hokage?" She asks, trying to stop me. Hinata was the only one I'd told my secret too, but she hadn't planned on me trying to figure out who I really was on my own. I pull my arm out of her grip.

"I have to find out on my own." I say before taking off for my house. I grab my bag from the tree, run to the Hokage's office, leave my letter at her secretary's desk, then head for the village gates. I have to hurry because I know it's only a matter of time before Hinata tells someone else that I'm running away and they come to try and stop me. As I approach the gates, I slow down to a walk and walk through them as if I'm on a mission from the Hokage. No one questions me and as I reach the woods outside the gate. I into the forest and jump up to the trees to travel faster. I hear people behind me asking if I'd already passed through the gates and speed up a bit, hoping they don't find me, because I think I heard Neji's voice. As I land on a tree branch, it breaks and my ankle twists as I jump off of it onto another one before it splinters on the ground. I make a clone, then lower myself to the ground and hide between some bushes as I try to heal my ankle. I hear people approaching, and hold my breath as three figures land in front of me. I peek through the bushes and my eyes widen as I see Shikamaru, Kiba, and Neji.

Great. Just who I needed to be following me, a genius, a guy who can smell everything, and a guy who can see through trees. Perfect. Thanks a lot Hinata. Why couldn't you have told Naruto, or Ino? Someone, ANYONE but these three! I relax a little as Neji says, "I told you we don't need to stop. I saw someone ahead, it was probably her."

"What's the matter Akamaru?" Kiba asks after his dog barks a few times. Akamaru barks again and Kibas' face lights up. "Really? Great!! Guys, she's here! Akamaru smells her scent!" He sets Akamaru on the ground as I tense up again. "Where is she boy?" Kiba asks as Nejiuses his Byakugan to find me. Akamaru runs to the bush I'm hiding behind as Neji points in the same direction. I quickly make a clone and both of us crawl behind the tree. I race up the tree behind my clone and go out onto a branch as the boys follow me, I take off to the side and my clone goes straight. Shikamaru and Kiba follow me as Neji goes off after my clone. Of course they'd split up, it's inconvenient for me. I create another clone and send it in yet another direction as I stay straight., this time Shikamaru also makes a clone and sends it after me. Great. Stupid genius. I increase my speed, until I can't anymore, because I wouldn't have any chakra left. I start to worry as Shikamaru gains on me. If he decides to use his Shadow Imitation Technique I'm screwed.

"Keia, don't do this! I don't want to have to fight you!" He yells at me, closing the gap between us by a few inches.

"I have to go! I don't want to fight either, so just let me go!!" I call back to him. He just shakes his head and uses that damn technique of his that stops me in my tracks.

"I told you, I can't let you leave." He moves us onto the same branch but stays a few feet away from me.

"And I told you, I have to go. I'm going to come back once I've found the answers!" I say getting angry.

"I just can't let ya leave like that, Keia." He shakes his head slowly and I feel someone land behind me. Kiba grabs my arms as Neji joins us, much to my dismay. Neji tries to take hold of my arms since he's stronger, but they set me free for a fraction of a second and I seize the moment and take off before they realize what's happened. By the time I'm out of Neji's range, I'm out of chakra and worn out.

**-end flashback-**

Now, I'm laying here in a tree, resting. I hope they won't find me. I'm under a rather large branch, filled with leaves, so it should make it harder for them to find me, although if Neji uses his Byakugan to find me, I'm screwed, even more so this time, because I'm completely out of chakra. I turn over onto my stomach and pull out my journal to write the days events down.

_Journal,_

_First day of my journey, and I'm only a few miles out of the village. Today was rather eventful, and I hope to get farther away from the village today. I'm going to start my search in Suna since my parents said that they think that's where the orphanage I came from is. So my search begins there. I'm not quite sure where Suna is, but I have to find it eventually, right? I hope I don't run into any opposing shinobi. Here's what happened today..._

Once I'm done writing the days events down, I close it and shove it back in my bag and crawl into my sleeping bag to get some sleep. Tomorrow I'm going to have a long way to travel, hopefully I won't be delayed anymore.

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**A/N- Okay, so there ya have it! The second chapter!! YAY I finally finished!!! lol Hope you enjoyed! Please review!! I really want to know what you think, and if you have any ideas, go ahead and give them to me! I'd love to hear them! **

♥


	3. Unexpected Meeting

**A/N- Well here's another**** chapter! I'd like to thank isanehyuuhei for the review you've fed my addiction****. This chapter is for ****you ♥**

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Disclaimer: You don't recognize it means I own it.

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_The greatest treasure man will ever have, is friendship._

_-unknown_

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**Keiatami POV**

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_Journal,_

_I've been traveling for around a week or so now, and I __**still**__ haven't found Suna. I'm starting to run low on food, and I lost the river days ago. I have to find it again soon, or I'm going to die from dehydration. I've been wandering around this stupid forest that I've found for many __many__ days, and I feel like I keep going in circles. It's around midday right now, and I've stopped for a break, I've been cutting a line in trees here and there, so I'll know if I'm going in a circle, so far I haven't passed by one of my marks. I think I'm getting closer to the river though, because I can faintly hear the gurgle of it now. I'll search for it in a few more minutes. I haven't run into anyone else since the first incident with __Shikamaru__Kiba__, and __Neji__, thank goodness. If I ran into anyone hostile now, I'd probably end up dying...stupid fatigue. I've noticed several signs of a person having crossed through this area lately, so I've had to stay alert, I don't want any surprises in the middle of the night. I thought I saw someone yesterday, but when I looked closer, there wasn't anyone, so I've been hallucinating from the shortage of water. I'm going to go find the river now. I'll write again tonight._

_-Keia_

I put my journal back in my bag, and stand up. I walk towards the hushed sound of the gurgling water, and find a small stream. So I wasn't close to the river after all, but hey, at least its water. I kneel down at the side of it cup my hands to drink. I bring the cool water up to my lips and take a long drink. Once I've quenched my thirst, I fill my canteens and walk to the edge of the forest; I keep the stream in sight as I walk into the edge of the forest and continue on my way. I figure that if I follow the stream, it will most likely lead me to the river, which will eventually lead me to a village, right? I feel something wet on my arm and look at it; rain? I feel another droplet on my head and then they all start coming down and I rush to the closest shelter I can find. The trees roots are raised high out of the ground, making a sort of little hut out of themselves. I run under the cover of them and look around slowly. I realize my situation sucks. I look around and try to analyze the situation, I'm wet, tired, and hungry, in a dark little cave-like thing and—there's a body in the corner. HOLY COW!!!!! THERE'S A BODY!?!?!?!?! WHAT THE HELL?!?!?! I run over to it and look closely at the face; it's no one I know, thank goodness. It's a girl and she looks around my age, so I look closer trying to see if she's moving, while I poke her…with a stick. I'm not taking the chance of touching a dead body. GROSS. Injured bodies, blood, and gore I can deal with, but _dead_ bodies? I don't think so. I keep poking the body, just to make sure it's dead, and as I'm about to stop, the eyes suddenly open and she groans. I gasp and jump back since I had found myself staring into eyes identical to mine. The other girl screamed and scuttled away from me towards the back of our shared haven. "Who are you?" I ask keeping my hand close to my kunai pouch. She looked up at me and stood up seeming to notice that we were about the same height and such. She took a few steps forward before answering,

"Rei, what's yours?" She inquires me.

"Keiatami." I say curtly. "What are you doing out here? You're not a kunoichi are you?" I turn and start to hack off a little bit of the bark from the root closest to me. I've started shivering and I'm numb, therefore I need to dry off and get some warmth back into my body before I catch pneumonia. I look back to see if the girl is going to answer me, and see that she's disappeared. I turn around and see that she's kneeling on the floor in the corner. She seems to realize that I've stopped hacking away at the root and turns around.

"I have a little bit of wood already collected, I was going to get more after I slept a little, but obviously that's not going to work out." She timorously sets the few pieces of wood out in the center of the floor. I smile at her small attempt to help me.

"Thank you, it's plenty." I say setting the little pieces of bark on the floor under the wood. I'm too numb to be able to move my fingers correctly, so I can't use any fire jutsu. I look at Rei and she looks at me. "Do you know how to start a fire?" I demand. She flinches and nods yes. I get up, walk over to my bag, and carry it back to where Rei is trying starting the fire. I pulled out a pair of clothes and saw that they were wet, every single pair of clothes I had, was wet. Great, now I have to stay wet. I hate my life. I set my black and purple outfit out by the fire to dry and I pull out my mirror since Rei keeps sending wary looks in my direction. It makes me think I look like a monster. I look in the mirror and go bug-eyed at my reflection. I look like a mad-woman. My hair is tangled and wild, I have dirt smudges all over my clothes and on my face, and it looks like blood, which just makes me seem like a crazed killer. No wonder she's acting scared of me. I set the mirror down to my left and pull a washcloth out of my bag. I stick my arm through the roots and let the rain soak the washcloth completely before pulling my arm in and rubbing the cloth furiously against my face. I stay in the corner as I rub the dirt off of my skin and get most of it off of my outfit. When I can't get any more of the dirt out, I go and sit by the fire with Rei again. "…You never answered my questions…" I try to start a conversation with her.

"Huh?" She snaps out a trance and I laugh at the clueless look on her face. Her expression goes from questioning to completely puzzled.

"You were making a funny face." I explain why I was laughing to her.

"Oh, yea I do that a lot…" She looks into the fire and I try to start a conversation again.

"You never did answer my questions earlier..." I let it trail off as she seems to think back to what I asked.

"Oh yea, um, no I'm not a ninja, and I'm from…" She mumbles the name of her village at the end of the sentence.

"Where are you from? I didn't quite catch the name…" I push for her to speak the name clearly. She mumbles her answer again and I take a deep breath to calm myself down. "You need to speak the name clearly." I say before encouraging her to go on.

"…Velveetagurke…" She finally whispers just loud enough that I can hear.

"…Velveetagurke? What village is that, I've never heard of it…" I rack my brain to try to think of something, anything, about her village, but I can't recall ever learning anything about it.

"It's the village hidden in the cheese…" She confesses turning a bit pink in the face.

I gasp. I remember now; Velveetagurke is an ally of Konoha! "Your village is an ally of my village! I have heard of it before, I just didn't remember, because well it pretty much keeps to itself and all you know." She nods her head seeming a little less terrified of me. "But what are you doing out here alone, if your not a ninja?" I grab my brush and start the task of trying to untangle my hair.

"Well you see, I was kid—" She stops talking when I yelp from pain. "Here, let me help you." She moves behind me and takes my brush from me. While she brushes my hair out, she tells me her story about how she came to be in the woods, while telling the story she seems to weave images from it out of thin air. By the time she finishes her story, she's almost done with my hair. "..And then you poked me and I woke up." She finishes and hands me my brush. "All done." She declares and turns back towards the fire. I look over at her, thinking of everything she had just told me. She basically just told me half of her life, and all she knew was my name. I turn my outfits over so the backside of them can dry and I involuntarily shiver again. My clothes weren't doing such a great job at drying, stupid clothes. "Here, since your clothes aren't drying, you can borrow this dress…it's not very nice, like your outfits, but at least it's dry…" She tries to hand me tan robes with a soft cotton strip for a belt. I look up at her unbelieving.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask her dumbfounded.

"Doing what?" She seems confused.

"Being so nice…you just told me about basically half of your life, and all you know about me is my name and that I'm from a village that's an ally of your village. Why are you being so nice to a complete stranger?" I question.

"Well…you…you seem really nice, and if you were going to hurt me wouldn't you have already done it?" She looks a little taken aback at my question.

"You really don't know much about ninja do you?" I ask getting up. She takes a few steps back and looks around as if searching for an escape. "Don't worry, your right, I'm not going to hurt you, but I am going to teach you how to read ninja, and how to protect yourself from us. Not now though, I'm too tired." She relaxes a little bit and holds out the robes again. This time I take them and change in a corner as she rolls up her bag and lays her head on it. I pull my small pillow out of my bag and toss it to her, "Here, you can use this…" I figure I can use my bag as a pillow, considering I've done it so many times before.

"Thanks, but what are you going to use?" She asks before replacing her bag with her pillow. I pull my blanket out and hand it to her.

"I'll compromise. The fire is dying though, so let's use this…" I spread the blanket out and she crawls under it as I put my clothes in my bag [which is also dry and roll it up before scooting under the blanket and laying my head on my bag. I look over at Rei and she's already asleep. _'I guess I've found someone to travel with…'_ I think before falling into a restless sleep.

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**A/N- Wow. Now **_**THAT'S**_** a chapter. I really didn't mean for it to be this long, but you know, when you get writing, it just takes off with your mind…or well that's what happens to me. I'll try to update within a week. You'll learn more about Rei and just exactly what was in her story. Please review! ♥**


	4. Secrets Out!

**A/N- So I brought Rei in last time, and you're going to find out a little bit about the half of her 'life story' that she told Keia. So here's the next chapter!!**

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Disclaimer: I still only own the crap you don't recognize, except Rei, billys-green-soup owns her.

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_Experience is a hard teacher, it gives you the test first and the lesson later._

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**Keiatami POV**

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I slowly open my eyes and stretch my muscles. I sit up and listen closely, all I hear is Reis steady breathing. _'Good, it stopped raining._' I think as I sit up. I pull my bag into my lap from behind me, and take out my purple dress. I take my blue one and Reis tan one to wash in the river. I grab my soap and silently steal away in the shadows of the morning. I reach the river, and looking around I see no one, so I undress and get into the water, I quickly wash my hair and body then climb out and dry myself. I put on my purple dress and plum colored shorts. I kneel down by the rivers edge and start to wash the dirty clothes I'd brought with me; as I wash, my mind wanders away from the task. _'What can we eat for breakfast…I don't have much food left, I wonder if Rei has any food…I'll have to ask her when I get back. Will she even be up when I return? If not, I'll just have to wake her up, we have to go ahead and get going...I wonder if she's even going to travel with me…I'll have to ask, if she does, I think I'll go ahead and teach her a few moves to protect herself. Do I still have my extra kunai pouch? If so…I guess I can give that to her…I don't know though…I might need it. Hmm,'_ I mull the question over in my mind as I rinse out the robes Rei let me borrow the night before. I pick up the clothes and head back to the little cavern we'd spent the night in and hang the clothes just under the roots so they can't be seen, but the small breeze can still reach them. I look back towards the river and see the first streaks of sunrise reach across the sky. Their spindly fingers seem to wrestle with the darkness until it retreats under the cover of the forest. The smell of smoke reaches me as I finish hanging the clothes up and I slowly sneak back into the spacious cavern. I peak around a large root that I'm hiding behind and see that Rei is up and cooking something for breakfast. I sigh in relief and come out from hiding behind the root and sit down across from her.

"I was wondering where you went, and when you'd be back." She says adding a few twigs to the fire.

"I went to the river to bathe and wash my dirty clothes; I washed the robes you let me borrow too." I roll my blanket up and pack it away in my bag. I shove my pillow in the bag as Rei answers.

"You didn't have to wash them. I rarely wear them anyway, but thank you!" She rotates the two sticks she's holding over the fire as I brush my wet hair out. I ignore my stomach rumbling and finish pulling my hair back into a loose, low ponytail. I needed to keep it out of my face for the day. "…I was wondering if you wanted to travel with me to Suna to find my – I mean, I was wondering if you wanted to join me on my trip…" I try to recover but Rei had caught my slip-up.

"Find your what?" She asks brightly as she pulls the two sticks with mushrooms away from the fire. She starts to sort out some fruit as I think of how to word my answer.

"The reason I'm away from Konoha, is because I recently found out that I was adopted. My parents think that my birth mother and father might be in Suna since the orphanage they found me in is there. I'm on my way there now to find them." I take the stick with mushrooms on it and the fruit she offers me as I finish talking. She takes a bite of her fruit and seems to be thinking.

"Ish Kunuwho oo iwage?" She asks with her mouth full. I nod my head as I eat one of the mushrooms she'd cooked for me. It tastes so much better than the dried fruits I'd been eating for the past few weeks. "I'd love to travel with you! It'll be so much fun! We can tell each other stories at night, and we won't be lonely anymore and…" I tune her rambling out as I continue eating. That's good, she'll travel with me. Now I'll have someone to talk to, and to help me with all the stuff I have to do. Maybe we'll even become friends…no, I don't think that will happen, maybe we'll talk and get along, but I don't think we'll ever become friends, we don't have a lot in common…do we?

"I was thinking about teaching you a few moves to protect yourself, and fight, if you're ever attacked again…I mean, it might not be enough to win, but you might injure them to give yourself some time to run away." I eat my last piece of fruit when I finish talking.

"So, basically, you're going to teach me how to be ninja?" She says forlornly.

"No. I'm going to teach you how to protect yourself if a ninja attacks you. As in, if they come after you again, you'll know a few moves to fight back against them, even though you won't be able to beat them, you can use some of the moves I can teach you, to injure them giving you time to run away." I wipe the berry juice off my mouth and stand up. "Do you want to learn or not?"

"Okay, as long as if I learn them, it doesn't make me a ninja." She tosses her stick on the fire like I'd done with mine.

"Trust me; it takes A LOT more than just this to make you a ninja." I pick my bag up and walk over to the clothes that are drying and toss my bag down under them after I dig my extra kunai pouch out. "You're going to start wearing this all the time, like I do with this one." I point to the kunai pouch attached to my leg.

"I don't want to…" She starts to argue.

"Do you want your life?" I ask before she can continue arguing. She nods her head, so I continue, "Good, then wear it." She takes it from me, unwillingly, and I help her strap it on her leg. She makes an unhappy face at it and I simply shake my head. This is going to be more work than I thought...

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**A/N-Okay kiddies! That's all there is for now. I'm working on the next chapter right now! Don't worry; it's going to be longer!! Review and I'll give you a ****yummyful**** purple brownie!!!! ****I ****wuv**** yousssss****…but only if you review.****..heheh****…**


	5. The Encounter

** ♥A/N- Okay kiddies! I'm back and I've brought a special guest! Yup, you guessed it! CHAPTER FIVE!!! YAY!!!! lol Not really, since I only have ONE faithful reviewer. mumbles about how she never gets any freaking reviews I'm dying here because no ones feeding my addiction. O.o Well, here's chapter five.**

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Disclaimer: I own Keia, and billys-green-soup owns Rei. but thats it!

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_This path we follow on this journey called life, seems so much better, when traveled with a friend._

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**Keiatami POV

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"You're not trying! You have to put effort into it. With a kick like that you're not going to hurt a blade of grass! Now try it again, and this time put some effort in it!" I say putting my guard up again.

"YOU CAN'T HURT GRASS!!!!" She practically screams at me getting angry.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU CAN HURT GRASS OR NOT!! NOW ACTUALLY PUT SOME FREAKING EFFORT INTO YOUR KICK!" I scream back at her. She narrows her eyes and I brace myself for a kick, instead she runs at me head on with the intent of tackling me to the ground, I sidestep the attack and kick her in the butt for good measure. "Don't try that again, it won't work on me." I say keeping my guard up, I figure if I can rile her up enough, she'll eventually try to kick and I'll be able to see what she has in her. Her face contorts with rage and I realize that I might not want to know just exactly how much power she has in her. She must have a lot, possibly even more than me, since Orochimaru wants her… She jumps up and runs at me, spinning to do a kick just before she reaches me. I duck and jump back just in time, instead of connecting with me, her foot connects with the tree that was next to me. She puts her foot down and stares daggers at me while I look at the tree. _'Not even a scratch! Did it just look_–' my thoughts are cut off as a loud _CRACK _emits from the tree Rei had kicked as it falls over. I shudder involuntarily as I think of what could have happened if the kick had connected with my body. Rei jumps as the tree falls to the ground with a thud and I picture my body breaking in half as the tree did.

"Oops." She simply states looking at the fallen tree.

"_Oops? Oops?! _YOU JUST BROKE A HUGE FREAKING TREE IN HALF WITH ONE KICK, AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS '_OOPS'?_" I practically scream at her. She shrugs her shoulders,

"It's not like I meant too…" She draws in the dirt with the toe of her shoe.

"Whatever. We've caused a lot of noise, if anyone is around, they'll come to investigate, so we better get going…" I head towards the roots that the clothes are drying on and stuff my dresses in my bag and hand Rei her robes as she joins me. "I don't want to run into anyone, much less any ninja. We're going to have to move fast, and not make any tracks. You know how to concentrate chakra in your feet to travel through the trees?" I look over at her and she has a blank expression on her face. "I'll take that as a no…" I take a deep breath and try to figure out how we can move quickly without leaving any tracks. _'Well, I could carry her, but I'd run out of energy twice as fast as normal, we could run but it would leave prints, we could travel in the river, but we'd go slower because of the current and having to move through the water since she cant concentrate chakra. Damn it! There's no easy way to do this.' _"We'll just have to run. Come on, let's go." I start off at a steady pace running under the trees, trying to figure out which direction Suna would be in; I had long since lost which direction I had started in; stupid forests. I'm pulled out of my thoughts as I sense someone approaching. I slow down and stop and Rei does the same.

"Why–" I put my hand over her mouth and signal for her to be silent and she nods her head, understanding. I tiptoe over to a rather large bush and hide in it with Rei. I look around sitting as quietly and still as possible, trying to figure out where they were coming from, and if they were enemies or not. Rei gripped my wrist and I took in a sharp breath as she tilted her head to the right. I leaned forward just slightly and saw what she was motioning to; a group of 3 ninja huddled together talking. I saw at once that they were shadow clones and mouthed my discovery to Rei so that she would be extra careful to not give our hiding place away. I look around trying to find the real ninja, but I don't see anyone until I just barely catch a glimpse of movement across from us. I squint to see better; I'm not sure if I imagined it or not; but if it was them, then we were in trouble. I look back at the clones and they're walking towards us; I look at Rei and see that she's frozen on the spot. She's barely breathing so I do the same; as I slow my breathing down I take a closer look at the clone's headbands–Otogakure and jonin level from the look of it. This situation is bad, very very very bad. Three sound jonin, against one leaf chunin and a super strong cashier. I look over at Rei and she's looking at me as if asking for directions on what to do. I think of mouthing: we're dead, there's no hope of us living through this if they find us. As I open my mouth I see the 3 sound ninja come out of hiding from across us and head toward our recently deserted campsite. We stay hidden a few moments after they disappear then I climb out and Rei follows. We run in the direction we had been, I stayat Rei's fastest pace; so it seems to me like we were moving painfully slow. All of a sudden the ground under us breaks and this _thing _shoots out from it and grabs Rei, barely missing me. I jump back as another one tries to grab me but a wall of sand stops it.

"What the hell? You can control sand?!?!" Rei asks as she struggles to free herself from the puppets grasp.

"If you struggle, you'll only get hurt worse." A voice floats out of the treetops and my attention snaps to the guy jumping down from the trees.

"You're a puppet master?" I ask as he sends the puppet after me again. I barely dodge it in time and crash into a nearby tree. "Why are you attacking us?" I question dodging the puppet yet again.

"Where's your other teammate?" He brushes my question off with one of his own.

"What do you mean? It's only us two!" Rei says finally giving up against the puppet.

"Then give me my scroll, and I'll let you go, as long as you haven't read it." The guy now looks quite frightening, with his eyes narrowed and the giant crocodile-looking puppet next to him. I look at his head and see a sand headband.

"We didn't steal your scroll! I'm a leaf village ninja! I found this girl in the forest and she's traveling with me!" I jump out of his puppets path, but land right next to the one that's holding Rei captive. I jump back as that puppet moves and land in the grasp of the puppet that had been chasing me.

"Then where's your headband?" He asks skeptically.

"It's around my leg; above my kunai pouch. You can look and see for yourself." I stay perfectly still in his puppets grasp as he walks closer to me and looks at the headband tied around my leg.

Upon seeing my leaf headband, the puppets release us immediately and Rei collapses on the ground in relief, apparently she hates being grasped by a giant puppet.

"Sorry about that, three ninja stole a _very_ important scroll from me last night while I was asleep. I mistook you for them, I'm pretty sure their sound ninja, have you seen them?" He asks rolling the three scrolls his puppets had turned into up, then putting them in their place on his back as Rei stands up and dusts herself off.

"We just saw three sound ninja back there!" Rei states excitedly.

"They all looked jonin level to me…I'm not sure though." I look over at Rei, and she smiles innocently.

"Three jonin?" He asks a bit surprised, "it's usually one jonin and two or three chunin!"

"I know…what's your name anyway?" I ask changing the subject.

"Kankuro…and yours are…" He returns the question.

"Rei,"

"Keiatami." We answer at the same time.

"I'm Keiatami, and she's Rei." I say to make sure he got both our names. "What's so important about the scroll they took?" I ask as we walk in the direction we had seen the sound ninja go.

"It has important information about the Leaf village and the Sand village. The Kazekage will kill me if I let anyone see it."

"How did you let them take something that important?" I'm on the border of freaking out; this could lead to the demise of my village.

"I was out of chakra and passed out. I'd fought around 15 of them earlier in the day and I couldn't have protected myself even if I was awake because I was out of chakra!" He defends himself.

"…I still can't believe you let them get away with the scroll. I figure you would've set traps around it or something!" I argue with him.

"It doesn't matter how they got it! All that matters now is how I'm going to get it back." He states turning away from me.

"Keia will help you!" Rei pipes up.

"What?" I exclaim as he turns back around.

"Will you? It would make things a lot easier for me." He looks at me expecting an answer.

"…yea sure, I guess I can since it's to save my village and all…" I mumble my response.

"Great! Let's go before they get farther away!" He says taking off to the treetops.

"Rei, stay here, hide in that bush if you even think someone is coming, we'll be back as soon as we get the scroll back." After Rei nods understanding, I take off after Kankuro. I catch up to him sooner than I expected and I can sense the three ninja hiding ahead. "They're just ahead, probably in or just outside the cavern Rei and I stayed in last night." Kankuro nods and slows down before dropping to the ground with me right behind him. He summons his puppets and we slowly advance on the ninja. When we emerge from the woods, we see them standing there as if expecting us.

"So you found yourself a little companion, huh?" One of the sound ninja smirks. Kankuro attacks without answering. He attacks two of them at once, and I take on the only one remaining.

Once he notices that I'm not going to let him interfere with Kankuro's fights, he focuses on cutting me down. It takes all I have just to dodge his attacks. This jonin might be just a bit much for me. I remember everything my sensei taught me and all of the extra training I went through with my friends. I couldn't let this ninja stop me. As he jumps back to catch his breath after a barrage of attacks he sent at me I see an opening and attack. I feel the kunai in my right hand connect with his right shoulder as I slice him just under his ribcage on his left side with my other hand. I jump back as he swings his kunai at me; unfortunately he doesn't miss his mark completely. I feel a small sharp pain on my stomach and look down to see a small bit of blood oozing out over the rip in my dress. _'Bastard! This is my favorite outfit and you just tore it! I'm not going to be able to fix it until I get to Suna, if I ever get there! Damn it!! You're going to pay for this!!" _ I think before attacking him with my blinded fury. I pull myself out of my rage just as I tackle him to the ground. I sit above him holding my kunai to his throat. "Try to move and I'll kill you." I say through clenched teeth.

"He's the one with the scroll." Kankuro says approaching us. "I've already searched the others." I glance over to the other ninja and see that Kankuro already defeated them and knocked them out. He climb off of the ninja and drag him to his feet all the while keeping my kunai at his throat. Kankuro searches him and finds the scroll. Once he finds it he asks the jonin a few questions as I take a few steps away from them and once he's finished questioning him he knocks him out. "Let's go." He says turning away from the unconscious ninja. I follow him back to the spot where we left Rei and I look around for her.

"…Rei?" I call out once I can't find her. After a few moments I don't get an answer and I start to think up logical reasons as to why she wasn't answering. I start to look through the bushes and such as Kankuro looks through the bushes on the other side of the trail. The thought of Orochimaru capturing her again pops into my mind and I spin around and look at Kankuro terrified. "He took her again! That's why she's not answering! He took her! We have to save her! I can't just let him take her away! He's scary and evil and, and..." I trail off as I start hyperventilating and Kankuro rushes to my side.

"Breathe!! Breathe!! In and out, in and out…" He coaches me on how to breathe and I follow his instructions. "Okay, now that you're breathing, please tell me what you mean. Who took her away? And just how exactly are we supposed to save her?"

"Save who?" I hear Rei's voice behind me and spin around.

"REI!!!!!" I scream before pouncing on her with a hug. "I was so worried when you- wait, why didn't you answer when I called for you?" I ask pulling back from out hug.

"…I was thirsty so I went and got a drink from the river instead of using water from my canteen…" She looks from me to Kankuro and I sigh.

"If that's all then okay, but don't ever do it again! I thought that maybe he had, you know, kidnapped you again…and all." I barely whisper the last part.

"Sorry…I didn't mean to worry you…" She puts her hand on my shoulder and I look up at her.

"It's okay, just please don't wander off like that again…" I trail off and she lets her hand fall back down to her side.

"Did you get the scroll back?" She asks turning to Kankuro.

"Yea…Keia's a pretty good fighter; I've never seen a chunin fight a jonin like that." He admits.

"…thanks." I smile at the compliment.

"Can I do anything to repay you for helping me get the scroll back?" He asks turning to me.

"Well, actually there is something…" I look over at Rei and she looks back at me. "We're actually trying to get to Suna, but we're kind of lost...could we travel with you on your way back to Suna?" I ask looking back at Kankuro.

"Please?" Rei adds as he seems to think it over.

"…why do you want to go to Suna?" He asks sitting down. Rei and I sit across from him as I answer.

"Well, I'm actually going there on a self-proclaimed mission. I have some questions I need answered; I'm also looking for someone." I admit. He looks over at Rei and quirks an eyebrow. "She's just traveling with me…she's not going there for any particular reason." Rei nods when he looks over at her to see if it was true. He looks at the ground and seems to think it over.

"I guess you can travel with me. I really wouldn't mind having someone to travel with, but I have to get to Suna no later than tomorrow. Can you two travel that quickly?" He asks us.

"I can but well, um, Rei isn't really a ninja. She's a cashier." I admit and Rei's face lights up.

"YOU GOT IT RIGHT! YOU SAID IT RIGHT!!!" She claps and gives me a hug.

"Um, yea I guess I did." I mumble in response.

"Oh…that could be a problem…" He states.

"Well, I could carry her on my back, but I get tired quicker…" I say trying to come up with a way for us to travel with him without causing him any problems.

"You could do that, but you wouldn't be able to travel as far, so we still might fall behind…" He says thoughtfully. "We could take turns carrying her; it might work that way…" He suggests.

"I don't mind, do you?" I ask Rei.

"No, I don't mind…I don't want to be a burden though...you guys can just leave me behind…" She says standing up.

"NO! I will NOT leave you behind. You're my friend and you're traveling with me to Suna." I state defiantly.

"I'm your friend?" She asks smiling and hugging me again.

"Um, yea I guess so…" I look over at Kankuro and he just looks away from us. "We better start moving soon, or we're not going to get to Suna by tomorrow." I point out.

"Oh, right. Um, do you want to carry her first, or should I?" Kankuro asks me.

"I can carry her first. I'll tell you when I need a break." I turn my back to Rei so she can climb on my back and once she's situated we take off. She clings onto me tightly at first but relaxes some after a little while.

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**A/N- That's all for now! Please review if you read, I really really really really really want to know what you guys think of it!! Even if you hate it, let me know! Tell me if it sucks! I'll do my best to make it better! Please just REVIEW!!! ♥  
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	6. Arrangements

**A/N- Okay, yea, here's chapter 6. Thanks to: isanehyuuhei and billys-green-soup for the reviews! I wuv yous!!!!**

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Disclaimer: I own pretty much everything you don't recognize, except Rei, billys-green-soup owns her.

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_You know __exactly__ who you are; all I want is to know __**a piece**__ of who I am.__-Me_

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**Keiatami POV**

"We're almost there, I can see the gates." Rei says from Kankuro's back; she'd kept her arms wound tightly around him the whole time she'd been traveling on his back. I adjust my pack and hand Kankuro his scrolls as we reach the gate and Rei climbs down from his back. I look over at Rei but she's watching Kankuro. _'What's up with her? She's acted weird since we met him!'_ I think as we enter the village. My attention is quickly grabbed by all of the colorful objects in the windows of shops. I see a beautiful necklace in one and wander away from Rei and Kankuro to look at it. I reach up to my neck and feel the delicate little chain of the necklace my parents had said my birth mother had left for me. I unclasp it and pull it from around my neck. I look at the charm on it and then look back at the necklace in the window. _'It's almost exactly the same! What the-' _"Keia! Don't wander away from us; we're going to lose you if you do. Come on!" Rei jogs over to me and pulls me back over to where Kankuro stands waiting. I mumble something incoherent and follow them through the town. I look in the other shops windows' but my mind stays on the necklace clasped around my neck.

"Keia…Keia…KEIA!!!" The voice pulls me out of my thoughts and I look around. We're standing in front of a rather large building and Rei is waving her hand in front of my face.

"What?" I ask innocently acting as if I had been paying attention the whole time.

"What's wrong with you? You've been zoned out ever since we entered the village." Rei says putting her hands on her hips. I shrug my shoulders and look up at the building.

"Where are we?" I ask motioning to the building.

"This is the Kazekages' office. I have to drop off this scroll and you should probably let him know why you're here…" Kankuro lets his words trail off as he holds the door open for us.

"Thanks!" Rei smiles at him and drags me inside. I sigh as the wave of cool air hits my face; it feels so good after being out in the heat. Kankuro walks past us and up a flight a stairs motioning for us to follow. I think about what to say to the Kazekage about why I'm there. _'Will he just send me back to Konoha when I tell him, or will he let me stay? Where will I stay if he does__? W__e don't have any money and neither of us knows anyone from here. Well we know Kankuro, but he probably wouldn't let us stay with him." _

"Wait out here; I'll come get you when I'm done." Kankuro says knocking on a door. Rei nods and sits down on the floor and looks up at me.

"What's with the frown? You should be happy, we finally got here! Now you can find out who your parents are! You should be really excited, why aren't you excited?" She asks as I sink to the floor beside her.

"I just realized, that if we get to stay here once I tell the Kazekage our reason for being here, which I hope he does let us stay, we have nowhere to sleep or anything, and no money to pay for a place to stay." I pull my knees up to my chest, wrap my arms around my legs, and rest my head on my knees.

"Well, we could ask Kankuro if he knows a place we could stay…I mean he might." She gasps before continuing, "Maybe he'll let us stay with him! That would be so awesome, he's really cool don't you think? I think he's really cool, and he's pretty cu-" She stops talking as the door opens and Kankuro steps out.

"You guys can come in now." He holds the door open for us again as we get to our feet and walk into the spacious office. I step to Rei's side and look up at the Kazekage. He has shocking red hair, pale ocean eyes and… no eyebrows. _'HOLY OAKTREE HE HAS NO FREAKING EYEBROWS!!!!!' _I try to hide my surprise, but I don't do a very good job at it. Rei doesn't even try to hide her surprise; actually it seems to amuse her that he has no eyebrows.

"DUDE, you have no eyebrows! That's weird! …why don't you have eyebrows?" I looked over at her, unable to believe that she'd just spoken to GAARA like that. I smile at him and grab Rei's sleeve as Gaara narrows his eyes at her.

"Rei," I whisper in her ear, "That guy, the one with no eyebrows, is the Kazekage, and he's kind of out of his mind at times, so try not to anger him, because if you do he might kill us, you know?" She looks at me when I'm done and whispers back,

"Really? I didn't know that. Ha, so he's apsychotic murderer? …wait that's creepy." She glances at him then looks back at me. I nod my head and she straightens up as I introduce myself.

"Um...I'm Keiatami Solaou, and this is Rei." I motion to Rei and she takes over.

"Oh yea, I'm Rei! Rei Saruwatari, cashier on the run!" She smiles and I look back at Gaara. His face is back to being expressionless.

"Why are you two here?" He directs the question at Kankuro.

"Um well, you see, heh, I figured you'd want to know what they were doing here and all...you know?" He shrugs his shoulders and half smiles.

"Okay, why are you in my village and what do you want?" Gaara looks over at us and I want to dissolve into the wall behind me. Rei however, is much braver than me and answers for us.

"Keia is here to find out who her parents are, apparently her mom comes from here, and I'm just traveling with her. So where can we find her mom?" She stares back at Gaara who doesn't respond for a few moments.

"So you're adopted?" He looks at me, waiting for an answer. I nod my head in answer and Gaara continues. "What village did you get adopted into?"

"Konoha…" I say looking out one of the windows behind the Kazekage.

"Okay…" He writes something on a piece a paper, and hands it to Kankuro before saying anything else to us. "You're going to follow Kankuro to the orphanage where they'll try to pull up some information on you. If they find anything, they'll send it to me to authorize it, and then I'll send it to you, so I need the address of the place you're staying at." He moves a piece of paper to the edge of the desk closest to us and sets a pen down on it. Rei looks at me and I look back at her.

"Actually we don't know where we are going to stay yet." I answer slowly.

"Kankuro will help you find a place to stay on your way to the orphanage. You can go now." He looks back down at the scroll and we leave the office quickly, Kankuro right behind us.

"Okay, now that that's over with, let's go see if the orphanage has any info on you."

"Um, Kankuro?" I interrupt his list of hotels and such in the area.

"What is it Keia?" He asks glancing over at me.

"It's not that we don't appreciate your help with finding a place to stay and all, but we can't stay at any of those places." He gives me a 'and just why not' look and I sigh before giving the reason. "We have no money at all." He stops walking and gets a thoughtful look on his face. Rei and I watch him as he thinks.

"I know! You can stay at my house; well it's actually Gaara's, Temari's, and mine. But I'm sure they won't mind! Well, Temari won't, Gaara might, but oh well. Is that alright with you guys?" He looks over at us eagerly awaiting our response to his supposedly 'brilliant' idea.

"Sounds fine to me…"

"Yea that's great!" We answer at the same time and he smiles seemingly proud of himself.

"Great! Then let's go on and see if the orphanage has any information on you!" He starts walking again at a faster, more energetic pace. Rei and I look over at each other confused for a moment before quickly catching up with him.

We reach the orphanage after what seems like an eternity but is really only about 5 minutes. When we walk in we look around and Rei gets distracted by the cute little baby photos hanging on the wall and all the little kids running around. Kankuro walks with me up to the desk and the woman behind it calms a crying child before looking up at us. "Hello, welcome to Loving Arms Orphanage, are you looking to adopt?" She asks brightly.

"Oh, no, actually I just need to get some information." I try to say more but she cuts me off.

"What age group do you want information on, I recommend the younger kids for newlyweds like you, or maybe you'd like a challenge and take an older child?" She hands the now sleeping baby off to another worker there and turns to her computer and starts typing rapidly.

"…newlyweds? Oh, we're not married! I just-" She raises and eyebrow once I say that so I try to clear things up as Kankuro starts laughing but tries to cover it by fake-coughing. "I came in to see if you have any information on a child that was adopted into the leaf village almost 15 years ago. I want to know who my parents are, and this is the orphanage I came from." I sigh as Kankuro moves away from a little kid that had run up to him. '_Apparently he isn't too fond of little kids.' _I think as the woman starts to bring up files on her computer.

"We have 3 children sent to the leaf village to be adopted 15 years ago, could you please tell me the name of the couple that adopted you." She sounds bored and possibly a bit annoyed.

"Solaou." I answer leaning on the counter casually while actually trying to get a look at the files brought up on the computer monitor.

"I think that's enough information for us to bring up the birth parents. We will have to send this information the Kazekage, have him authorize it, once he authorizes it, he will either send it back to us, or have it sent directly to you. Either way it will be a short while before we can give you the information. Thank you for stopping by. Have a nice day." She finishes and turns to a woman who brought a wailing baby to her.

"Well, might as well go ahead and leave…" I point out and look around for Rei. "Um…where did Rei go?" I ask.

"I don't know. I was standing by you the whole time…" Kankuro lets his words trail off as we start to look around for Rei. We find her sitting on the floor playing a game with a few kids that look around 8 or 9.

"Rei, come on, we're leaving." I say and she groans.

"Do we have to go now? I'm winning!!" She argues and moves again.

"Well…not really but it'd be best. What game are you playing?" I walk closer to them and see a board with all sorts of candy-shaped things on it.

"Candy Land." She answers looking back down at the board.

"We're not staying. Let's go."

**5 minutes later**

"Ha! Told you I'd win." Rei says as we finally start to walk out of the orphanage once she finished her game.

"Uh-huh. Can we please get to your house now, because I'm really tired and could use a nap?" I look at Kankuro and he nods.

"Yea, it's not too far from here…" He leads us through the winding streets of the village and we end up in front of a rather large house. "This is it." He opens the door and leads Rei and me inside.

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**A/N- Well, there's the next chapter, sorry for ****it's**** lateness! I'll try to get the next chapter up quicker, although I don't know when it will be done…I've lost inspiration ****:( but I'm working on it :)  
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	7. Surprise?

**A/N - Sorry for the lateness lovies. Had a temporary writers block, but its gone now! I already have a little bit of the next chapter done! YAYYYY lol Well, here's the next chapter, enjoy!**

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Disclaimer: ...why do I do one of these every single chapter? You know whats mine and whats not.

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_In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. -Martin Luther King Jr

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_**Keiatami POV

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**Steam envelopes my body as I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around myself. I quickly towel-dry my hair before drying my body off and changing into shorts and a tank top. I quietly slip out of the bathroom and into the bedroom I'd be sleeping in while staying with Kankuro and his siblings. So far, it'd only been Rei, Kankuro, and I in the house, so I was going to do some exploring. I feel rejuvenated after my nap and go to Reis' room to see if she wants to explore the house with me, but she's sprawled out asleep on the bed muttering something about hospitals and scary people, so I silently close her door and walk down the hallway to the stairs. I slowly make my way down the stairs and see Kankuro lounging on the couch, flipping through the channels. Before I can say anything to him, a familiar blond-haired kunoichi rushes through the room and into the kitchen telling him to help her bring in the groceries. "Get them yourself Temari." He replies, as she disappears into the next room completely. 

Suddenly she appears in front of him, staring threateningly at him. "What did you say?" She asks menacingly crossing her arms.

"...I, uh...I said, I'll go get them right now." He jumps up and runs to the front door to carry in the remaining groceries. She returns to the kitchen and I follow to see if I can help any. I see Temari walking back and forth between the groceries on the table to the refrigerator or pantry to put them away.

"...is there anything I can do to help?" I ask after a moment.

"Hm?" She looks up and drops the can of food she was holding. "Keia? Is that you?"

"Um..surprise?" I smile unsure of how she'll react.

She shrieks before running around the table and enveloping me in a hug. "It's great to see you again, I'm so so so so so so so sorry about last time. I was acting like a complete bitch. I know your just friends with him, forgive me?" She lets me go and stands there unsure as an awkward silence settles between us.

**-Flashback-**

"I can't believe you went out to dinner with him, when you **KNOW** I like him! I already have enough competition with that **SLUT** hanging all over him! I don't need you to be after him too!" She rants, pacing around my living room.

"Temari, it wa-" I start to calmly explain but she cuts me off.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! I'm leaving." And with that said, she runs out of my house, leaving me standing there, dumbfounded.

**-End Flashback-**

"Yea, and it really was just a dinner between friends. I'm not interested in Shikamaru like that, you should have known that." I say to her, making sure she knows she overreacted. She nods her head slowly before we hug again.

"I know, I had just been under a lot of stress and I was furious after seeing Ino and him hanging out earlier. Though that still gave me no right to act bitchy towards you. I'm really sorry." I look in her eyes and see that she's truly sorry and smile.

"It's alright, really. Now, is there anything I can do to help you?" I ask as Kankuro carries more bags in and sets them down.

"You two know each other?" He leans on the counter observing Temari and me.

"Yes we do. She's the friend I always go to Konoha to see. I've told you this before, baka. You nearly drooled when I showed you the picture of us at that party." She turns around and starts putting groceries away again as I look down and Kankuro leaves the room blushing and muttering about how he never drooled. "Keia, can you put the cans of food in the pantry, please?" Temari asks, moving items in the refrigerator around.

"Sure..." I mumble before grabbing a bag full of cans and setting it in front of the pantry. I set to work putting the cans away, glad to have something to distract myself from my chaotic thoughts.

Several hours and a few awkward conversations later, night was setting in as Rei and I explored some of the other rooms in the house. I opened the door to a room on our left and see hundreds of scrolls and puppets lining the walls. "Holy crap. How many do you think there are?" Rei asked sliding past me, into the room. I look down the hall before following her in and quietly closing the door behind me.

"I don't know, maybe 500?" I run my hand across the shelf closest to me and look around as Rei talks.

"I think there's more. There's got to be thousands." She inspects a puppet with four arms and no legs before looking at a puppets head that was resting on a stand on the desk in the middle of the room.

"Don't be ridiculous, there's not thousands." I gingerly trace my finger across one puppets head before turning to Rei. "We probably aren't supposed to be in here..." Rei doesn't seem to hear me as she looks through papers on the desk.

"Your **_NOT_** supposed to be in here." Rei and I both freeze upon hearing the angry voice. It was laced with amusement and curiosity at the same time, but it was most definitely angry. I slowly turn around and see Kankuro standing in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face.

"These blue-prints are amazing!" Rei exclaims when she sees it's him. "Their so intricate..."

"Really, you think so? I thought of them when..." I tune them out as Kankuro walks over to her and I slip out the door. I go downstairs and see Temari reading a scroll at the kitchen table. I aimlessly wander over to the couch and sit down as Temari gets up, rolls the scroll up, and walks into the room.

"Feel free to watch whatever you want. I'm going upstairs to lay down, I have a headache. We should have a girls' day tomorrow and go shopping, does that sound OK?" She massages her temples while heading for the stairs.

"Sounds great." I answer before flipping on the television as she drags herself upstairs to her room. Two and a half movies later I feel someone watching me. I look over my shoulder and see Gaara, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a smug holier-than-thou look plastered across his face. The moonlight streaming in through the window cast shadows across his lean body and smirking face. It should have made him look creepy, but oddly, I thought it made him look mysterious and sexy. His expression doesn't change as he uncrosses his arms and strides over to the couch, gracefully, considering who he is and all. He leans over the back of the couch and stares right into my eyes.

"What are you doing in my house?" He asks quietly. I look into his pale jade eyes and answer, just as monotone as he had asked.

"Kankuro and Temari said it'd be cool for Rei and I to stay here since we have no money." He snorts before straightening up and walking into the kitchen. I notice my muscles relax as he leaves the room and wonder what the hell it was about him being so close to me just then that made my body tense up and my senses scream warnings. I turn the television off and go up to bed.

After changing into my pajamas, getting ready, and crawling into the bed, I lay awake and picture, in my mind, the way Gaara looked leaning against the wall only half an hour before. I barely noticed the beginning of butterflies in my stomach before I drifted off to sleep.

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**A/N- There you have it! The next chapter, finally up and ready to be read AND REVIEWED. Seriously, please review, it would make me love you a wholeeee lot more. :D ♥**


	8. Amasei?

**A/N- yea. so here's the next chapter! :D Some confusion in this chapter, but its mostly just a filler chapter anyway. þ Its necessary to read though, because I put some important 'events' in this chapter. :D This chapter is a bit longer than the last one, so yea. Enjoy lovies! And review!**

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Disclaimer: Read the one from the last chapter.

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_Patience is the art of finding something else to do. - Groucho Marx_

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**Keiatami POV**

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_Running. That was all I was doing. Nothing was behind me, and nothing was ahead of me. I was running in a never-ending expanse of white. The vastness of the area astounded me and before I knew it, I was falling. I was still in the vast white expanse, but I had changed actions, although how I had done so, I didn't know._

"..oomph." I open my eyes and see that the floor is almost level with my eyes. I sit up and rub the side of my head as a migraine starts forming. 'The sun hasn't even risen yet and I already hate today.' I slowly stand up and look at the clock. The numbers stare back at me, 3:15 AM. I unhappily make the bed and gather the things for my shower, might as well do something useful since I'm already up.

By the time I get out of the shower and dry my hair, its 4:00 AM. I stealthily creep downstairs and look around the kitchen. Spotting the coffee-maker, I begin searching for the coffee beans and filters. Thirty minutes later, I'm watching the coffee slowly and steadily drip into the coffee pot. I get myself a mug from the cabinet and rinse it out, just to give myself something to do. While waiting on the coffee-pot to fill, I also unload the dishwasher, put the dishes away then transfer the dirty dishes in the sink to the now empty dishwasher. I look at the coffee-pot and happily see that it's just barely over 2/3 full. I start scrubbing the counter top, waiting for it to finish filling up.

"Your up early." I jump at the voice coming from the doorway. Quickly recovering, I turn around and see Gaara standing there, dressed surprisingly casual, in just plain black pants. My eyes skim over his bare chest and abs before flitting up to his eyes again.

"I couldn't fall back asleep after a migraine woke me up." I explain before putting the sponge back where I'd found it and begin to towel-dry the counter top.

"Why are you cleaning" He sits down at the table, keeping his eyes on me.

"It's something I've always done. While waiting for something to finish, I"d always do something else, something useful." I hold the coffee-pot up and he nods, so I fill the mug up and hand it to him before getting myself another mug down.

"Mmm." was the only response I got before I left the room and went upstairs to go out on the balcony to watch the sunrise. As the sun began its ascent into the sky, Gaara joins me, but stands on the opposite side of the balcony. At least he had a shirt on now. We stand there in a comfortable silence just watching the sunrise, it would've been romantic, had i been watching it with anyone other than him. I sipped my coffee and relaxed, knowing, at least for now, that I was reasonably safe, well, I felt safe. That safe, secure feeling vanished when I smelt smoke and ran into the house after Gaara.

I stumble into the kitchen, narrowly missing Gaara as I regain my balance and see Kankuro waving a spatula at the smoke. Once I look closer, I see he was cooking, well trying to. "Baka. Leave the cooking to Temari before you burn the house down." Gaara growls as Temari and Rei enter the kitchen. Kankuro scowls at his younger brother before opening the windows and throwing the burnt food in the trash. Rei burst into laughter as Temari started making jokes of Kankuro's attempts to cook, only I saw Gaara slip away into the darkness of the living room. The smoke exited the house fairly quickly via the windows and in no time Rei, Kankuro, Temari, and I were sitting at the table eating the breakfast Rei and Temari had prepared. As the others made small talk, I remained silent, thinking about what my birth parents might be like and wondering what my friends were doing back in Konoha. I also wondered how Tsunade was doing in my absence. She had always spend the days teaching me techniques...

I didn't pay attention to anyone else while lost in my thoughts, and I didn't notice everyone else finish and leave the table, leaving me there alone. Even after I finished my food, I stayed there, still lost in my thoughts. I don't know how long I sat there, but the sun was fairly high in the sky when Rei came flying into the room, grabbed my arms and started skipping around in a circle, me stumbling along across from her. "They found it! They found it!" She chanted relentlessly.

"Found what?" I ask finally pulling myself from my thoughts.

"The information on your parents of course!" Rei exclaimed, finally letting go of my hands. Hearing the news, I became dumbfounded and didn't stop myself from falling to the floor once Rei let me go. "Keia? Are you okay?" Her voice sounded so distant. How could she be standing so close and sound so far away? This question, along with hundreds of others rushed through my head, colliding and careening out of control. I looked up at Rei and started mumbling incoherent sentences which put me on the receiving end of her agitated slap. Her hand connecting with the left side of my face jolted me back to reality. "Get a hold of yourself!" Rei orders.

"Ouch." I growl, rubbing the side of my face which now has a red hand-print decorating it. I slowly rise to my feet and look at Rei, she stares right back. "Where is it?" I demand, now that I've gathered my wits.

"Where is what?" She asks, forgetting what she had been so excited about.

"The papers! The info on my mystery family!" I exclaim, shaking with excitement. Sugar seems to have replaced the blood in my veins, for suddenly I feel like jumping, dancing, and running. "Where?" I ask again.

"The Kazekage's office of course." Even Rei wasn't brave enough to call Gaara by his first name out loud just yet.

"The let's go!" I grab Rei's hand and run out of the house, sprinting the whole way to the Kazekage's building. I burst through the door, panting, with Rei in tow. Running to a destination when you aren't sure of it's exact location and how to get there isn't a good idea I realize. The secretary raises her eyebrows at our bedraggled appearance and once I catch my breath, I dust myself off and request to see the Kazekage. She says to wait while she phones in and I look over at Rei.

"Keia, are you okay? Your shaking." I look down at my hand and see that I really am shaking- as if I'd been dunked in frozen water and pulled out into a cold wind.

"I-I'm fine. Just a tiny bit-" I search for the right word, but Rei beats me too it.

"Apprehensive?"

"Yea." I nod my head and sit down beside her as my thoughts run rampant through my head again. "I've waited so long to know, and now I"m not so sure I want to know. I mean, what if they don't want me to know who they are? ...and if I decide to meet them, what if they don't want to know me? I just- I just don't know anymore." I sigh and tighten my forehead protector around my thigh. I look up and Rei walks over and hugs me.

"It'll be okay, if they don't want to know you, it's their loss, not yours." She whispers before letting me go. I simply smile and shift in the stiff chair that matches the others that decorate the waiting room. After a few moments, the receptionists phone rings, and she tells us that the Kazekage could see us in a few moments and to go on and head for his office. She gives us directions and we star for his office. As we draw nearer, my heartbeat quickens and my pace slows. It seems as if the hallway has narrowed and lengthened. When we reach the door, I wipe my sweaty palms on my shorts as Rei knocks on the door. We exchange one last unsure glance before the door opens and we're motioned inside. I see a woman sitting in one of the two chairs in front of the Kazekages desk, she doesn't turn around as we enter. Gaara, however, holds up a folder and looks directly into my eyes.

"Keia, I got the documents you requested this morning, shortly after, this woman," He motions to the lady in the chair, "requested to see me." he pauses and I wonder what the hell she has to do with my adoption papers-unless... "She wanted to know where you were.She claims to be your mother, and according to these files, - she is." He drops the files onto the desk and slides them to the edge. Rei picks them up as the lady stands up and turns around. I realize that we have the same hair and eyes as soon as she looks over at me.

"Keiatami, I know this may come as a shock, but-" I cut her off.

"...may come as a shock? I simply come to pick up some papers to find out who my real parents are and instead of just the file, you're here too?" I take a step backward, towards the door. She looks at me defiantly and speaks in a calm, steady voice.

"You have no right to talk to me like that. I might not have raised you, but I'm still your mother!" I stand up straight and giver her my most defiant gaze and speak in my iciest tone.

"I have every right to speak however I want to towards you. You haven't been in my life for 15 years and you expect me to give you the respect a good mother deserves? You expect to just waltz into my life and assume the position of my mom the day I meet you? I wanted to know who you were, I didn't want to _know you_." I turn on my heel and start to walk out of the office, but her reply stops me.

"If I'd wanted to assume the position of your mother the day I met you, I would've told you who I was that day in the forest." My anger flares up with my astonishment. I turn towards her with a ferocity I didn't know I possessed.

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**Gaara POV**

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I look back at Keia as she turns around fiercely and starts spiting hateful words towards Amasei. I can practically see the flames in her eyes and the knives in her words. As her temper rises, so does a wall of sand. I see a flash of surprise on her face and she falls quiet. I catch the sand before it falls and covers Amasei and my desk. Once I have it out of my office, I turn back to the other 3 people occupying the room. "What the hell did you just do?" Amasei disbelievingly asks Keia before I can speak.

"What does it matter to you?" She asks shortly before turning on her heel, leaving 3 curious, astonished people behind her.

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**A/N- Well, I finally changed POV's :D Please review lovies! It will make me happy and I'll update faster! plus you get a lot of action in the next chapter! YAY heh heh heh.**

**oh btw, you don't have to have an account to review! So all you anonymous people reading just leave a review! I'll give you a brownie :D lol  
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	9. Exposed Feelings

**A/N-Okay, so here's the next chapter Finally gettin it up! YAY!! lol No one reviews anymore but I still ask PLEASEFREAKINGREVIEW!! I'll love you if you do! ...I'll also update quicker. :D**

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Disclaimer: I wish.

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_Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall. - Confucius_

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**Keiatami POV**

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I race down the hallway and stairs to the door. I hurriedly push it open and rush into the heat wave that greets me outside. I glance around before spotting the village gates in the distance and dashing towards them. I needed to clear my head and think about everything that had just happened.

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**Gaara POV**

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I slowly turn toward Amaseiada, "Would you care to tell me how the hell she manipulates the sand?" I ask. Amasei just stands there, a look of utter disbelief plastered on her face.

"I...I..." She gives up trying to explain and simply shrugs her shoulders. I look at the other girl and see that she isn't surprised at all.

"Do you know?" I ask trying to think of her name. _'What was it? Roo? Ren? That's not right...'_ I rack my brain trying to remember it. "Ree?" I wave my hand in front of her face and she snaps out of her trance.

"It's Rei, I knew she could control sand, but I don't know _how." _She glances toward the door before looking back at me. "We should probably go after her..." She trails off looking at Amasei and I.

"Right. You two go find her. If you don't find her within the hour, come back to me and I'll send a team to look for her." I sit back down at my desk and look at the letter Tsunade had written to me about Keia. I set it off to the side, I wasn't going to be bothered by it, she couldn't be _too hard_ to find.

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**Keiatami POV**

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I breeze through the village's gates, my blood still boiling._ 'How dare she be there! I don't want to know her! I just wanted to know who my parents were. Is that so wrong?' _I stop and look around at the scenery. I hadn't realized I'd been going so fast.I could just make out the villages' gates in the distance. It's funny how I'd never noticed the forest on the other side of the village. It was a small ways off, and not noticeable, but a forest nonetheless. I sit on a tree and think about the events that had just taken place in the Kazekages office. While thinking, I realize that it's not that I didn't want to meet my mom, it's that I didn't want to meet the woman who had given me away to strangers 15 years ago. "Why does she want to met me now?" I ask the small butterfly that hovers near my feet. I think back to the day in the woods, the first time I'd met her. "...someone very precious to me..." she'd said. I sit there and wonder if I'm truly precious to her for about an hour before asking the butterfly, now resting on my leg, "am I really precious to her?"

I hear the answer come from behind me. "You really are."

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**Gaara POV**

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Amasei rushes into my office, red-faced and panting. "Get a search team ready quick! Rei stayed out looking for her and on my way back I nearly ran into sound shinobi and I heard Rei's name! We have to find them first!" She nearly screams before doubling over to catch her breath. I stiffen as I call Baki into the room.

"Get 3 or 4 of the best ANBU we have and lead them on a search mission. We must find Keiatami and Rei before the sound nin do." He nods before going to get the ninja I'd requested. Amasei goes with him telling him everything that had happened. As I sit back down at my desk, one line of the Hokage's letter jumps out at me, _'...if anything happens to my pupil while in your village, I will hold you responsible. Take care of her, you don't want to know what will happen if you don't.'_ Seeing that line, I get up and strap my gourd to my back, I have to find Keia before anyone else does.

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**Keiatami POV**

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"Rei!" I exclaim as she jumps next to me. "How do you know I'm precious to her? How do you know she cares about me?" I ask, my curiosity over-coming my shock of her finding me. Before she can answer, a frightening voice rings out from above us.

"I care about _**you**_." Rei cringes and jumps behind me as I look up and see none other than Orochimaru. He _slithers_ down to our level and smirks at Rei as she pokes me whispering,

"the sand! Crush him with the sand!"

"Did you really think you could get away that easily my-" He stops talking and his eyes grow huge before he lets out a shriek that wold make a school girl proud and runs away flailing wildly. Rei and I turn around laughing before screaming ourselves. In front of us was a GIGANTIC spider. We looked at each other briefly before taking off to the left, thinking about nothing but getting away from the spider. We finally stop a few miles away and rest on a tree branch. We assume he spider stayed where it was, or, followed Orochimaru.

"Did you hear him scream?" Rei tried to suppress her laughter while asking.

"Who would've thought such a scary person had such a hilarious scream?" I asked before we heard the high-pitched shriek again. We burst out in laughter, unable to hold back anymore. We were doubled over, gasping for air and wiping tears from our eyes when he found us.

"Well, well, well." He sneers appearing before us. Rei gasps and scrambles backwards while I sit there, hoping my sharpened senses are betraying me. "Not only my student, but my old comrade also? The only thing that would make this day better would be me killing Itachi." He spat out his brothers name as if it tasted foul.

"S-Suke-kun?" I whisper using my childhood nickname for him. His eyes flash dangerously and I rise to my feet as a sick smile warps his features.

"When will you stop using childhood nicknames? We're getting older Keia, Much older." He whispers the last part and holds my chin in his hand. I look up at him with watery eyes as childhood memories of us flash through my mind, his warm breath on my face fueling the memory reel running through my mind. I am faintly aware of a single tear falling before snapping back to reality as he throws Rei through the air towards a tree for trying to free me from his grip. I watch as Rei spins through the air before clumsily landing on her feet on a tree branch. "Hm, so you _have_ learned something." He smirks while watching Rei jump out of the tree. While his attention is adverted I tear my chin out of his grasp and throw a punch at him. He sees it coming and grabs my fist mid-air. I try again with my left fist and he stops it too. I quickly bring my knee up after concentrating chakra in it and smile with satisfaction as it connects with his abdomen. He doubles over, letting go of my hands and gasping for air. Rei runs up and brings her heel down on top of his head, she smiles evilly and simply states,

"Revenge." We turn to leave him there, but as always, he won't give up. I spin around and Rei does the same a few seconds afterwords. Sasuke slowly rises to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. Rei and I exchange an oh-no look before assuming our fighting positions. He draws his sword and slowly runs his fingers down its edge while watching us draw our kunai. He smirks and shakes his head.

"This fight isn't fair. It will be over shortly, don't worry I'll keep your pain to a minimum." He lunches for Rei first but at the last second changes his target to me. I fling my kunai up at the last second to counter his swords strike, but the force of the metals connecting pushes me off balance. I quickly regain my footing, but not quick enough; an explosion of pain spreads like a wildfire through my right shoulder and I cry out in pain. Rei flings herself into the fight, attacking Sasuke's back while he has no weapon. His sword went completely through my shoulder and into the tree trunk where it remains lodged. I work on getting the sword out of my shoulder, while trying to keep up with the battle. As I dislodge the sword from the tree, Sasuke turns around and pulls it out of my shoulder as quickly as he'd pushed it through. I stagger a few steps, gasping as a new explosion of excruciating pain sweeps through my body.

**"YOU JACKASS! YOU KILLED HER!" **Rei screams, pushing him off the branch. He quickly jumps onto the next tree, then lunges at her hissing,

"Your going to regret that." He swings his sword, but before it connects with Rei, a wall of sand flies past us and pins him to a tree.

**"FORGET ABOUT HIM! SAVE KEIA! SHE'S DIEING!"** Rei screams flailing around wildly. I fall to my knees, and catch a glimpse of red hair before blackness consumes my vision.

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**Rei POV**

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I jump out of the tree. If I can reach the ground before Keia, I can cushion her fall. I guess she couldn't hold on in an unconscious state. I pass her and twist my feet beneath me. As much as I hate it, I _did_ learn something for Sasuke...but as my feet hit the ground, I realize I won't get to Keia in time. Panic overwhelms me; I run. But, before I can reach her, she lands on a pile of soft sand.

Oh.

My.

Gourd.

Gaara saved her. Gaara saved my best (and only) friend. I need a way to thank him, but first I have to take care of Keia. I rip my pants to shreds, making bandages big enough for Keia's wound. I look up to see a fight that's far too close between Gaara and Sasu-kun._ 'I don't have time for that! Pressure. Pressure will stop the bleeding.' _I tie up Keia's wounds as tightly as I can and launch myself back into the battle. "Rei, no!" I hear Gaara yell. For a second, I wonder why he'd care, but then I remember. Keia's _dying_. It's Sasuke's fault. Sasuke, who beat the crap out of me, who taught me, who helped keep me prisoner. Who tried to kill Keia. I'm filled with hate and fire and anger and Keia's kunai are flying from my hands and I can't believe I'm actually holding my own. Then Sasuke snarls and does a hand sign and the world is set on fire. I'm encased in sand that quickly turns to glass and when I look up, he's gone. Gaara's pissed. I smash the thin glass as I start to cry. "Rei, come back to the village. We don't have time to cry."

"But Keia..." Gaara grabs my arm roughly, "get up." I stand and Gaara pulls Keia onto his back, throws me a look, and heads off to the village in a blur.

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**Gaara POV**

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I race into the village, Rei following closely behind. I rush to the hospital and lay Keia's unmoving body on a stretcher. I turn toward the closest doctor, point at Keia and demand, "Fix her. NOW." The doctor is quickly joined by several others and they wheel Keia into a room as I drag Rei away from her and sit in the waiting room impatiently.

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**A/N- There ya have it! The next chappy! YAY! Don't forget to read: "I am NOT a ninja!" by: billys-green-soup**

**It's amazing! Plus Rei's part of the story will make more sense! Woot! Review lovies! The next chapter will be up soon I promise! (note: this was 2107 words! HOLY CRAP! The next one is even longer! So look forward to it!!)  
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	10. The Visit

**A/N- Okay, so I pretty much wasn't supposed to type this up until like next week or so cuz I don't have the next chapter halfway done, and I don't post until I have the next chapter halfway finished, so I'm only posting this because I love you all so much...and I have nothing else to do. :D love yall!**

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Disclaimer: Why do I do one of these EVERY FREAKING CHAPTER?!

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_Don't let what you can't do stop you from what you can do. - John Wooden_

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**Gaara POV**

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I walk into Keia's hospital room with Rei. She runs up to Keia's bed and starts muttering to her. The ANBU team had returned without problems moments before and Temari was writing a detailed letter about what had happened to Tsunade. I turn to leave the room but a raspy voice stops me. "Gaara..." I turn around and see Keia's eyes focused on me.

"Hm?" I grunt, wanting to leave.

"...thank you." She winces and I nod my head and leave as Rei starts talking to her. These girls are going to be more trouble than I thought.

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**Keiatami POV**

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I listen to Rei as she tells me about everything that had happened. I sit up and ask her to get me a drink. She leaves the room to get it and I slowly get up and get dressed. I do **not** stay in hospitals. While I'm putting my arm in the sling again, the door opens and I look up to see that woman who calls herself my mom walk in. She seems surprised that I'm out of the bed, much less dressed as if I'm going to leave. Rei walks in and drops the drink she'd gotten me. "Keia! What are you doing? You're supposed to rest! Lay back down right now!" She orders not even noticing the woman.

"She's right you know." She remarks pointing at Rei.

"Hey! Who are you and how did you get in here?" Rei asks suspiciously.

"My name is Amasei and..." Rei cuts her off.

"Your Keia's birth mom!" She exclaims, remembering. "But...what are you doing here? Keia doesn't like you."

"I-"

"She was just leaving." I don't even try to hide my hostility towards her.

"I'm here to take care of her." Amasei says stubbornly. "...whether she likes it or not." She stares at me defiantly and I stare right back.

"You can think what you like, but you are not-" My voice starts rising as my temper flares.

"KEIATAMI SOLAOU YOU LAY BACK DOWN IN THAT BED RIGHT NOW!" I stare wide-eyed as Tsunade strides into the room.

"But-"

"RIGHT NOW!" She orders again. I sit on the bed just to amuse her so she'll listen to me.

"Tsunade, you know I"m not going to stay in here. I have to keep training...and do other stuff." I look off to the side and quickly mutter the last part of my sentence.

**-15 minutes later-**

"You're staying here for the night." She determines after looking at my shoulder.

"But Tsuna-...master!" I complain.

"No. Your staying; if you'd remembered your training, you wouldn't be in this situation." She states turning around as I blush.

"Your right. I should have remembered my training. I wasn't focusing on the fight my mind was elsewhere." I look down at my hands and remain quiet as Tsunade turns around and faces me.

"Why? Why didn't you keep your mind on the battle? You can't be distracted when fighting Sasuke Uchiha. you know that! Keia, you've changed. Since you found you were adopted, you just up and left. That's not like you." Sitting on the edge of my bed, she looks at me. "Tell me whats wrong." She says softly. I look up at her and open my mouth to tell her when Rei bursts into the room.

"Is Keia gonna be okay?" She asks Tsunade standing on the opposite side of my bed.

"I'm going to be fine, Rei. I've told you this a million times." I sigh and lay back letting my shoulder slowly ease into the comfort of the pillow. Ignoring me, she turns to Tsunade and raises her eyebrows. Tsunade nods before speaking out loud to us.

"Her wound will heal perfectly fine, she'll be back to training again soon. I'm already planning the lessons." She smirks and walks out.

"Great. Death by training, I can see it now." Rei laughs as I roll my eyes.

**-Next Day-**

I drag myself into the house behind Temari. "I don't need someone to watch over me! I'm fine. I know how to fight and you know it." I start up the stairs as Temari starts to argue. "I **KNOW** I got kabobed by Sasuke's sword!" I growl. "I **WON'T** be caught off guard again." I go into my temporary room as Temari stops my door from closing.

"I'm still going to have Kankuro, Gaara, or an Anbu be watching you when your not in the bathroom..or changing." With that said, she turns and leaves, my door silently closing behind her. I sigh in frustration and decide to write to my mom and dad..well, the only parents I'd eve known. I dig in my bag and pull out a pen and start searching deeper in it for a scroll. I reach in and pull out...my gloves? So _that's_ where they were! Psh. They would've come in handy when I was skewered by Sasuke's sword. That baka knows better than to make me so angry. I squeeze my gloves in my left hand before dropping them on the floor and reaching into my bag again for a scroll. I have to stay focused, or I'll never write them. Finally, I locate an empty scroll and work on writing with my left and and fail, time and time again. Frustrated I hurl my pen at the wall; it bounces off and lands on the floor rolling to a stop next to the bed.

"Stupid pen. Stupid injury. Stupid Sauske. Stupid letter. Stupid fights. Stupid...me." I sigh and sit on the floor in the middle of the room and concentrate on healing my shoulder quicker. I feel my muscles in my shoulder heal, but the joint is still messed up. I don't know how to fix it, so I stand up and walk around a bit before laying down on the bed. I stare at the fan as it slowly spins, moving the hot air around the room. After about an hour of the excruciating boredom, there's a soft knock on my door. "Come in." I sit up as the door slowly creaks open, revealing a worried-looking Rei. "What's wrong?" I ask standing up.

"Nothing, I'm just worried about you. We didn't hear any movement or noises or anything and I was wondering why so I came to check on you." She walks in, picks up the pen and sits down on the bed. "Does it hurt?" She doesn't look at me, but instead at my pen as she turns it in her hands.

"My shoulder? A little bit, not badly though. You don't need to worry about me. Tsunade is taking care of my injury, so it's sure to be okay, and I can watch out for myself. I know my weaknesses and I'm going to grain harder than ever to overcome them. There's nothing for you to worry about." I sit down beside her and put my arm around her. "Try not to worry, okay? Every thing is gonna be alright." She finally looks up and smiles.

"I know, its just...never mind. Why did you throw this across the room?" She asks, changing the subject before I can ask what she was going to say.

"I _was_ going to write a letter, but I can't write with my left hand, so I got angry and threw it." I explain laying back. "So much for writing my parents, huh?" I say sarcastically.

"I could write it for you; if you say it to me..." Rei offers.

"Really you don't mind?"

"Of course not. Now start talking!" She sits down at my desk and gets ready to write as I start to dictate my letter to her.

**-Half An Hour Later-**

"...Love, Keia." I pace a few more steps then stop. "Is that good?"

"It's great; my hand hurts. We can give it to Kankuro to send to them. Oh, and don't forget to take your medicine. you have tot take in in...15 minutes ago. _OH MY GOURD!!_ You missed taking your medicine! your arm's gonna fall off!!" Rei freaks out trying to find my pills.

"I'm taking them now.."I gripe, getting them out and taking them. "Stupid pills." I mutter after swallowing them.

"Don't **EVER** forget to take them again. you could die if you do!" She reprimands me.

:could not! The pills are just to keep the pain down and speed up the healing. I'm not gonna die or lose my arm!!" I sit on the bed and toss the pills onto the nightstand. "Was it a mistake to come here? I quietly ask.

"Do you think it was? Rei sits down beside me and clutches the letter.

"I don't know anymore. I mean, I got to see Temari again, and meet you, but that's it; Amasei shows up with no warning and I don't know what to say to her. It just seems like a huge mistake..." I sigh and notice her clutch the letter tighter.

"You see meeting me as a mistake?" She sounds as if she's on the verge of tears.

"NO! That's the best thing that's happened on this..mission, er, trip...thing." I reassure her and she wipes her eyes.

"Awww, your so sweet!!" She envelopes me in a giant bear hug and sniffles.

"Can't...breathe...Rei..." I gasp out and she lets me go.

"Sorry." I numb my shoulder yet again and stand up. "Let's go on and send the letter. Might as well get it out of the way." Rei gets up and follows me out the door. After wandering around for a few hours, we decide to get ice cream and get Kankuro to send the letter for us. "So much for making it on my own. I can't even send a letter!" I laugh as we walk back in the house.

"Well you-" Rei stops as we walk into the kitchen and see Gaara sitting at the table. We turn to leave him, but he stops us.

"Keia, Tsunade wishes to speak with you. She's in my office right now, waiting." Rei and I follow him to his office silently, but only I enter. "She only wants to speak to Keia." Gaara says holding Rei back. I walk in leaving Gaara and Rei standing outside his office.

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**Rei POV**

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I pace outside Gaara's office waiting for Keia to come back out. _'I hope she's not being sent back to the village. I want to stay with Keia, but I also want to be with-'_

**"WHAT?!"** I hear Keia shriek from inside the office. I cringe as I hear a series of shouts and crashes from the other side of the door. I look at Gaara and he looks...bored. He doesn't seem to care that his office is most likely being obliterated by Keia. I cringe as I hear her shout again. This time however, Tsunade yells right back at her. They seem to argue for a few minutes before the door flies open and Keia storms out, papers flying around the room behind her. I decide to leave her alone for awhile and wander back to the house to see if Kankuros back yet.

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**A/N- Short chapter I know, sorry! Lots of action coming up though and I mean LOTS! Review please! oh yeaaa BTW the reason Tsunade got there so fast, is cuz she was already coming to visit! Just so ya know :D  
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	11. Discoveries

**A/N-Okay so, update time. This isn't going how I planed but IDK what to put between what's already happened and what I WANT to happen. So bunches of nonsense in this chappy…maybe. :P Sorry for the lateness.**

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Gaara POV

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I slowly walk into my office to observe the damage. A few sheets of paper float to the floor by my overturned desk. Papers cover the floor from wall to wall and a chair is overturned. Tsunade is resting in my chair, her hands clenched into fists. "That girl is impossible. She's too stubborn, strong-willed, and has that damned fighting will- no matter what!" She mumbles seemingly to herself as I pick up the fallen chair and set it upright. Tsunade looks up and seems a bit surprised that I'm there. "Sorry about the office." She says setting the desk upright and helping me pick up the papers.

"It's nothing." I set y pile of papers on the desk while Tsunade leaves.

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**Keia POV

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**I numb my shoulder and pull the sling off. It's almost fully healed and that sling is just a nuisance. I cram it in the first trashcan I can find, and then continue speed walking through Suna. "How could I ever love someone like him? I don't even know him! We don't even get along; he seems to like Rei more than likes me! I can't love him! I could **NEVER** love him! ARG!" I think storming through the streets. Then, it occurs to me; do I even have a choice in the matter? …probably not. I want to beat Tsunade for picking me to fulfill her 'plan.' "Damn her." I mutter collapsing onto a bench before I close my eyes and try to figure a way out of the plan.

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**Temari POV

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**"Why does this have to happen to me?" Keia asks lying on a park bench with her eyes closed.

"…because you have really sucky luck?" I offer. Her eyes pop open and she looks at me.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"About 30 seconds."

"Oh...Ok."

"Let's walk. Tell me what's wrong." I pull her off the bench and she trudges through town beside me.

"Tsunade wants me to marry a guy I could never love just to make the alliance between the villages stronger. I have to find a loophole." She follows me into a restraint and sits down at the table across from me. "I just can't see myself ever loving a guy like him." She states as the waiter walks up.

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**Keia POV

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**Temari snorts after I tell her who I'm supposed to marry. "She seriously thinks you two could fall in love?" She asks laughing as I nod my head. "She'd have a better chance of turning the sky lime green." She laughs again as the waiter brings us our food.

"Uh…sure." I mutter before taking my first bite. The truth was, I probably could love him eventually, I just didn't want too. I was possibly even _afraid_ of loving him. I push the thoughts out of my head as I begin to eat.

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**Amaseiada POV**

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**I had been wandering aimlessly through my villages' streets, thinking about my one true love who had left me, after finding out I was pregnant. I know he's out there, waiting for me to come back. He told me to choose him or the child for he couldn't care for a baby. So, I had little Keiatami, left her at the orphanage, and went and found my Za-kun. He had that boy with him by then. He didn't want his own flesh & blood, instead he took that orphan. After finding him, I went about keeping track of my Keiatami. Now, she's found me, and she hates me. I never should have abandoned her for Za-kun, now I'm all alone. I sit down on a bench and think about how things would've turned out had I become a rouge ninja, and joined Zabuza.

I look up, snapping out of my daydream and see Keia and Temari walking out of the restaurant across the street. She stops when she sees me and I slump onto the bench. "She has her father's will.' I think dejectedly. I close my eyes and hang my head; moments later I hear footsteps fade. Then, I feel a hand on my knee.

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**Keia POV

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**I fight the urge to pull back and catch up with Temari as Amasei's head snaps up and her crystal blue eyes meet mine. She barely breathes my name as if she's afraid that if she speaks or moves, I'll disappear. I nod my head once and stare into her eyes a few moments before grabbing her hand and dragging her stumbling along behind me to the now-deserted park. I let go of her hand and sit down on one of the swings. After a few moments she seems to decide I'm not a mirage and sits on the swing next to me. We sway back and forth in a comfortable silence for awhile before I barely whisper, "why?" She says silent so I ask again a bit louder, "why?" She looks over at me startled.

"Why what?" I think a moment before answering her.

"Why did you find me now? Why did you talk to me that day in the forest? Why did you go to Konoha to find me?" Tears start to fall from my eyes as the questions tumble from my mouth without my consent. "Why did you leave me this necklace?" She seems shocked that I wear it as I pull it over my head and hold it out. I jump up and stand in front of her. "Why did you leave me at the orphanage? Why did you willingly give me away to strangers?" I fall to my knees sobbing and glare at her through my tears. "WHY? WHY DIDN'T YOU WANT ME?" I sit on the ground, shaking and sobbing. After a moment I feel Amasei wrap her arms around me and pull me to her chest, stroking my hair and murming soothing words to me. I wrap my arms around her waist and don't even attempt to control my feelings. I let my tears stream from my eyes as my mother-the one I'd never known-held and comforted me.

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**Kankuro POV

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**I walk back into my house after dropping off the letter for Rei and Keia. I catch the door before it slams and quietly close it remembering Temari's threat after I let the door slam a few days ago and woke her up while she was napping. I refrain from shivering as I vault over the back of the couch and get comfortable. I look for the remote to get the TV off of the stupid girly show it was on. I mean seriously, who wants to watch some stupid pug and raccoon run around and crap? I spot the remote and change the channel to an action movie. "Change. It. Back." A demon voice rings out from the other side of the room. "NOW."

"Wha-" I squeak turning and seeing Rei curled up in the recliner. "Why?" I challenge her, trying to save my pride.

"I was watching Pocahontas! Change it back!" She demands.

"Why should I?"

"Why...You!!!"She launches herself through the air with a growl and tries to wrestle the remote away from me. "Gimmie it!" She tries prying it from my fingers. I smirk and slider out from under her.

"No."

"Yes."

"Nooo."

"Yesssssss!!" She chases me around the living room until she trips. "Oww!! Stupid floor!" She stands up and brushes herself off before trying a different approach. "Kankurooooo, can I please have the remote back to finish my movie?" She asks innocently, with big puppy-like eyes.

"Oh fine. Just don't ever use your puppy eyes on me again!" I say handing the remote to her.

"YAY!" Thank you Kanky!" She hugs me and quickly takes the remote and sits back down to watch her stupid girly movie. I start up the stairs as she asks, "Are you going to play with your dolls?"

"Yes...no. THEIR PUPPETS!" I quickly jump the last few steps and silently curse her as she laughs.

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**Tsunade POV

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I walk out of the restaurant and wander around outside. Some visit this was turning out to be. I come to make sure Keia's okay and try to drag her back to Konoha and I end up healing her and making her marriage arrangements. 'Damn her for being so strong willed, it'll kill her one of these days.' I walk into my room at the inn and settle down for the night. 'I won't worry myself over this. She'll come around and see the logic of it.' I tell myself, but five minutes later, I'm worrying about it.

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**Keia POV

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**-Next Day-**

I wake up to the smell of pancakes and coffee. I roll out of bed and notice that I'm still in yesterday's clothes' and an unfamiliar room. I faintly recall falling asleep after talking all night with Amasei. It all made sense now. Except for who my dad was. I mean seriously, Zabuza? Puh-lease. Although that could explain my knack for catching onto water jutsus so quickly. I stop in my tracks. 'So much for meeting him.' I think darkly. I stumble into Amasei's kitchen rubbing my eyes.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" She asks pouring me a cup of coffee.

"Uh, yea. Breakfast smells good." I take a sip of the coffee and make a face. "Bleh, what is this, _tar_?" I ask taking the creamer and dumping half the sugar bowl into my cup.

"It's black coffee, I like it like that." She laughs setting the plate of pancakes, syrup, and butter on the table. We eat breakfast in silence, but as soon as I finish Amasei asks an un-nerving question. "Why did you walk with me yesterday and open up to me in the park? It seems weird after hating me for so long."

I look down at my plate and fiddle with my necklace. I feel her eyes on me and start slowly; "Well, when I saw you on that bench, slumped in defeat;" she nods, urging me to continue, "My emotions created a conflict within me. Sympathy eventually won." Looking up at her, I see her slightly smile. I hear screaming from outside then Amasei's door breaks down and Rei charges in, Kankuro and Temari standing behind her gaping.

"You broke her door baka!" Kankuro shouts

"You kidnapped Keiatami! I'm gonna kill you!" Rei screams, charging.

"Bakas." Temari mutters as I step into Rei's path. Trying to skid to a stop to avoid hitting me, she trips and crashes right into me. We rumble across the room until painfully slamming into a wall. I cringe in pain and grab my shoulder as Rei tries to untangle our limbs.

"Owwww. That hurt! Why'd you jump in front of me?"

"Because she didn't kidnap-" I lock my jaw, cringing again before muttering a string of obscenities.

"Keia! Your shoulder! Ohmygawd! Is it okay?" Rei jumps up and leans over me.

"It's _fine _I'm just cringing to work on my theatrics." I comment sarcastically.

"You shouldn't worry her like that, really." Kankuro says as I realize I'm out of chakra and can't numb my shoulder. Rei shoots Kankuro a dirty look and helps me up.

"Let's get you to the hospital." Temari grabs my left arm as I grimace and follow.

"OH. You were being sarcastic…" Kankuro mumbles looking down.

"Sorry about –hey…where did she go?" Rei asks looking around for Amasei.

"Who cares? Come on." Kankuro grabs Rei's hand and pulls her along with us. 'I can't wait for Tsunade to hear about this.' I think walking into the hospital.

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**A/N- OMG finally done! WOOT! Please review!! Thank you for reading! Have a taco! Courtesy of billys-green-soup! Until next time loves! (Sorry for the lateness! I'll try to update more often! I promise!!)  
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	12. Now You Know

**A/N- Sorry for the uber long wait! I'm finally updating for you!! :D Onward my minions!

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**Disclaimer: If I did, I'd be rich! …but I'm not. Oh well…

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**Keia POV

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"The joint is still messed up, it _was_ almost healed, but this will take about another week to mend." Tsunade shakes her head and walks towards the door. "I have to get back to Konoha you should start making those wedding plans." She leaves before I can deny anything.

"Wedding plans?" Rei and Kankuro ask as Temari smirks.

"Yes, wedding plans. Tsunade made a deal with some people and engaged me to the person of their choice. I don't think he knows yet though." Rei raises an eyebrow and I shrug as Kankuro snorts.

"Poor guy." He states sitting down.

"Tell me who!" Rei presses me.

"Bakas." Temari turns and leaves, seemingly insulted by their ignorance on the subject; defeated, I sigh and mutter his name.

"Who?" Rei asks, leaning closer to me.

"…Gaara." I look at Kankuro as he bursts out laughing and then at Rei whose face is hosting a horrified look.

"You _**cannot**_ be serious." She states, dumbfounded.

"Gaara…won't…_**EVER**_ marry….anyone!" Kankuro wheezes trying to control his hysterics.

"I am serious, and he _**IS.**_" I chuckle as Kankuro falls out of his chair and hits the floor with a thud. Rei snorts as he rolls around, tears forming in his eyes.

"Oh! That reminds me, I need to talk with Tsunade. I'll be back later!" She runs from the room to catch Tsunade before I can even blink.

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**Rei POV

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"Um…Miss Tsunade-san, ma'am Hokage?" The big-busted blonde turns around and glares at me.

"That's _**Tsunade-sama**_." She says glaring at me.

"Oh…sorry…" I swallow. Her torpedo-boobs are going to kill me. I just know it. "Well, I was just wondering...uhm…did this…does Keia really have to marry…Gaara?"

She narrows her eyes, "Who are you anyway, kid? This is none of your business."

I narrow my eyes in return, "I'm Rei Saruwatari and I'm Keia's friend. That _makes_ this my business. I realize she's from your village, but she's my only friend and if Gaara kills her, then I-I'll-well, I don't know what I'll do, but it'll probably be really bad!" Tsunade raises an eyebrow.

"You're talking to the Hokage of Konahagurke. Do you understand what that means?"

I clench my teeth, what a time to not be a ninja. "Look, lady, if Keia doesn't want to marry him, you can't make her!" The back of her hand collides with my face and sends me flying.

"Don't you dare speak to me that way. I won't take such talk from some pathetic Suna kunoichi!"

"HOLD IT!" I stand up. "One, I'm not pathetic. Two, I'm from Oto, not Suna. Three, I AM NOT A FREAKING NINJA! We were starting to draw a crowd and Tsunade was not happy. I had an irking suspicion that that would suck for me.

Oh well.

"Miss Tsunade-sama, I'm just letting you know that if Keia doesn't want to marry someone, I'll take the decision out of her hands." Then, I walk away, feeling kind of cool.

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**Keia POV

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"STOP LAUGHING! STUPID JERK!" I shout at Kankuro who's rolling around on the floor laughing and gasping for breath. "Why don't you go play with your dolls or something?" I suggest opening the door.

"They're not dolls! They're puppets! Get it right!"

"Same thing." I retort shutting the door behind me. I wander off into the desolate streets of Suna, trying to find a way to get out of the arranged marriage.

"You shouldn't be wandering around alone while you're hurt." I stop in my tracks and turn around.

"You always sneak up on people like that?" I ask as Kiba and Akamaru fall into step with me. "What are you doing here?" I pet Akamaru's head as we wind through the villages streets.

"Tsunade-sama told me to act as your bodyguard/advisor to make sure you're all healed up for your big day. What is your big day? You finally becoming a jounin? About time, you fulfilled the requirements months ago." He finally stopped talking and I debate telling him the truth or not. _'He'll find out soon enough anyway...' _I argue with myself.

"I'm not becoming a jounin, she still wants me a chuunin; my big day is…" I take a deep breath and say the last part of my sentence as fast as I can, "is my wedding day." He stops in his tracks and blinks a few times.

"You're what? Your wedding day? Who are you marrying? I didn't know you were even dating anyone!" Akamaru barks in agreement.

"I wasn't dating anyone. It's an arranged marriage; it's supposed to make Suna and Konaha stronger allies." I sit down on an old abandoned bench and he collapses onto it next to me, still in shock. Akamaru lies down at our feet, closing his eyes; apparently I'd shocked him too.

"So…who's the lucky guy?" He inquires after a few moments of silence.

"If you can call him lucky." I sigh and lean on him as he wraps his arms around me in a loose hug. We sit there for awhile, just soaking in the moment. Akamaru barks, bringing up Kibas question again and I sigh as he looks questioningly at me. "Gaara." I mutter, before he yelps in surprise, jumping up, effectively making me fall to the ground. "Ow!" I complain as he starts freaking out.

"Gaara? _**GAARA**_?! He'll kill you! You can't marry him! He's not the marrying type! He won't agree to this psycho plan! _YOU_ can't agree to it! What idiot made this arrangement? I want to kill them! Who was it, Keia? Who made this stupid arrangement?" Akamaru growls as Kiba verbalizes his fury.

"Tsunade-sama and Sunas' elders made the arrangement, Kiba. There's no way out of it. Only someone as smart as Shikamaru could find some sort of hidden loophole if there even is one. OW!" I shout as he grabs and shakes me vigorously.

"That's it! We have to get Shikamaru to look over it and find you a way out!" He stops shaking me once he realizes that it's causing me pain. "Sorry." I give him a tight smile and start walking again.

"Shikamaru probably won't do it, Kiba. He'll say it's too troublesome. Why must he be so lazy?!" I ask no one in particular.

"…because he's Shikamaru, duh." Temari interjects as she starts walking with us. "What are you doing here, dog boy?" She wrinkles her nose in Kibas direction and I walk between them.

"Calm down, Kiba. Temari, be nice." I order as Kiba growls and Temari giggles.

"So easily angered, this should be fun. Don't heal too fast Keia; I want to torture him as much as possible." She smirks and leaves us as we reach the house. "I gotta get some stuff done for Gaara; you can help me fix dinner when I get back, okay?" She waves and disappears in a rush of wind after I nod in agreement. Kiba follows me inside and jumps on the couch, getting ready to relax.

"Get off me!" Rei grumbles shoving him to the ground. "Sheesh, fatso, try not to sit on people."

"Hey! I'm not fat! Who the heck are you anyway, and why are you in this house?" Kiba growls, pulling a kunai out.

"Who am I? Who the heck are you?" Rei shouts back, still lounging on the couch.

"Kiba calm down! This is my friend-Rei. Rei, this is Kiba, he's an old friend Tsunade sent to make sure I don't get into any…trouble, while I heal." I launch a nearby pillow at Kiba and chuckle as it hits him in the face.

"Some protector can't even stop a pillow." Rei laughs with me as Kiba throws the pillow back at us.

"I wasn't expecting Keia to throw something at me! If I had, I would've stopped it! I was busy making sure you weren't an enemy ninja that was going to attack!"

"I'm not a ninja! Why would I attack?!?!" Rei yells stomping out of the room angrily.

"Sure you were, Kiba." I give him a sarcastic smile before following Rei into the kitchen, leaving Kiba to salvage his pride.

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I silently chop vegetables while Temari chatters on about her day. Rei sneaks in for the umpteenth time to sneak bits of food out to Kankuro and Akamaru. Dropping the veggies into the pot of boiling water, I start to listen to Temari as she cooks the meat.

"…so he had me doing the things that he so could've done, he just didn't want to do them. It's time like that that makes me want to just hit him, you know?"

"Mhmm." I nod my head and begin setting the table.

"Oh, there's only going to be five of us…Gaara is pulling overtime-again."

"Oh, okay." I put one place setting away before sitting down in my seat and watching Temari cook. "Why do I have to marry him?"

"Because Tsunade and the Elders thought it best to bring the villages closer by having the Kazekage marry a leaf kunoichi." Temari explains for the umpteenth time.

"But why _me_? Why not Sakura or Hinata or even Ten Ten?

"Because Tsunade picked you. I guess she thought you were the only one strong enough to survive being married to Gaara."

"I don't want to marry him. I want to find a guy and fall madly in love with him and marry him, not some guy someone else thinks I should marry."

"Tomorrow you're going to spend the day with him okay?" Temari sets a salad on the table and looks me square in the face.

"…why?"

"Because you need to get to know him; he's changed since the last time we were in Konoha. Don't worry about dog-boy, I'll keep him busy. He'll have no reason to be around you since you'll be with Gaara." She smiles mischievously before going back to the stove. "Go let everyone know dinners ready." I get up and walk into the living room, pondering what time would be best to run away. No way am I going to spend a day with Gaara without anyone else around – what if he goes psycho and tries to kill me?

"Dinner is ready." I announce to Kiba, Rei, and Kankuro, interrupting their card game. Rei jumps up with the boys and they all run into the kitchen.

"Fooooooood." Kankuro sits down and starts shoveling food onto his plate. I take my place between Rei and Gaaras empty chair. While everyone else eats, I simply pick at the food on my plate, my appetite having disappeared. As the conversation starts up, I excuse myself and head to my room after clearing my dishes. Thinking that now would be my best chance to escape, I grab my bag, shove a change of clothes and my medicine in it with some food I had snatched from the kitchen, and scrawl a note for Rei before opening my window and crawling out onto the roof before dropping off to the ground a small ways from the front door. I glance back once before turning and quickly heading for the village gates.

I turn down a dark alley and run right into a dark figure that appears out of nowhere. "Where do you think you're going?" A familiar voice inquires.

"How did you know I was..?"

"I saw you climb out your window. I've been following you since."

"I thought someone was following me, but I brushed it off as being paranoid…" I admit standing my ground.

"We should get back to the house before the wind picks up." Gaara cautions.

"I'm not going back. No offense, but I don't _**want**_ to marry you."

"I don't want to marry you either, but we don't have a choice." I nimbly jump out of the way of his sand.

"Then let me go, then we both get our way." I try to persuade him. Without a word or even a glance at me, he sweeps past me and encloses my body in sand before I can escape it. "Let. Me. Go." I growl between clenched teeth. Without responding to me in any way he continues on his way towards the house. Concentrating with all my might, I slowly but surely begin shifting Gaaras sand to release me. After I make a hole big enough to escape through, I check that he's not paying attention. Gathering my strength, I launch myself through the hold and hit the ground running. Without looking back, I charge full-speed ahead to the villages' gates and breeze through them.

I don't stop running until the sun sets a full day later.

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**A/N-I know, I know, super short. But I'm already working on getting the next chapter typed! This is just a little Christmas present! I'll be updating sooner I hope! Leave me reviews! They feed my soul!! :D**


	13. Captured!

**A/N- Here's a long overdue chapter. Sorry for the wait. =]

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Disclaimer: Why do I even bother? You all know I don't own it.

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_"Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil." ~Aristotle_

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Keia POV

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After catching a few hours of sleep, I unhappily lift myself out of the hollow in the tree where I had slept. I reach back in and retrieve my bag before heading out again, still groggy with sleep.

"Wake up!" Splashing the cool river water on my face helps little in my attempts to escape my fatigue.

"No, no. We'd much rather have you asleep." A malicious voice comments from behind me. I reach for my kunai as I turn to face my challenger, but before I can turn completely around, a hard object collides with the side of my head. With colorful dots blurring my vision I swing a kunai in the direction the blow had come from and feel it slice through skin followed by the sound of quiet cursing before the object collides with my head again, pushing my consciousness out of my body.

My throbbing head wakes me up. I don't know how long I was out, but I wish it was longer. I sit up, sending a new wave of pain through my head. I groan and cradle it in my hands. Once the pain subsides, I slowly lift my head and look around the room. _'How fascinating.'_ It's a small room; four bare concrete walls surround me and the small bed I'm on. There's a small divider in a corner of the room that catches my attention. Moving slowly so I don't trigger another episode of pain, I make my way over to it. Oh, joy. My very own toilet and shower-thing. Actually you can't even call it a shower. It's a hose sticking out of the ceiling above a giant grate that I suppose is the drain. At least it has knobs to control the water flow and temperature.

"Anyone out there?" I call out, leaning against a section of wall a few feet away from the divider.

"Hello?" After a few minutes with no answer, I trudge back to the bed and lay down. I entertain myself by staring at the ceiling…for three hours.

"Well, well, don't we have ourselves a pretty one?" A guy with eight arms announces walking into the room. I simply stare at him, expressionless as a rather large guy follows behind him.

"Yep, quite the catch." He agrees, his eyes skimming over my body.

"Stop screwing around guys! We're supposed to be 'retrieving' her for him! Hurry up!" Another voice speaks up. I hadn't noticed the red-haired girl standing in the hidden doorway mostly masked by shadows.

"You take all the fun out of it, Tayuya." The big mostly-bald guy comments. As the two men reach for me, I scramble out of the bed and slide past them towards the girl they called Tayuya.

"You can't even keep a drugged kunoichi from getting past you. Useless bakas." She grabs my arm and drags me down a long, winding, musty-smelling hallway and stopping in front of an intricately carved door. She knocked, waited a moment, then opened the door a fraction and shoved me through. Feeling slightly like a drunkard, I stumble forward a few steps before someone pushes me onto my knees. I look up through my tangled hair and see a pair of snake eyes staring out at me from an unnaturally pale face. Struck speechless, I feel my eyes widen in...fear? Shock? Hate? Maybe all of them. As his sick, terrifying smile warps his features, Rei's story of imprisonment rushes through my mind in fragments thanks to the unknown drugs in my system.

"Welcome to my home. I hope you like your room; it was your friends for a few short days. Although, it will be hers again soon; just as soon as she comes searching for you." His smile broadens as I realize what his plan is.

"She won't come. No one will let her. You won't _**ever**_ get her back!" I choke out as someone hits my back repeatedly.

"She seems strong enough." The silver haired ninja announces, walking around into my line of vision.

"She will come, or she will never see you again. No one will."

"You don't scare me. I've been prepared to die since the day I became a kunoichi." I stare at him defiantly, my gaze never wavering from his.

"Death is not in the plan, although when we get done with you, you **will** wish you were." Kabuto smirks. I barely refrain from flinching from the look I see on his face from my peripheral vision. Orochimaru narrows his eyes as my gaze hardens. _'No matter what they do to me, I __will not__ let them have Rei back.'_ I repeat to myself in my mind, hardening my resolve indefinitely.

"Put her back in her room. Make Sakon and Ukon her guards for tonight. I want them in the room with her; she's very tricky." He licks his thin lips as Kabuto forces me back into the hall leading to my cell.

Before leaving me, Kabuto pulls out a needle and syringe and grabs my arm. "This won't hurt a bit," he smiles as he jabs the needle into the crook of my arm. A small groan escapes me as a burning sensation begins where he injected the liquid. "Enjoy."

Shortly after he leaves, a two-headed 'freak show' enters my cell and balances itself of the foot of my bed, watching me in my stupor. My hair sticks to my face and neck due to the stifling hot air in my concrete box. "I wonder why she's laying like that."

"I don't know. Ask her."

"You ask her."

"You're the one that wants to know!"

"Oh, shut up!" I groan in response to their escalating voices, causing them both to look at me.

"Why are you sprawled across the bed like that?" The one in front asks me.

"I don't think she can talk due to Kabutos medicine, Sakon." The second head answers when I don't.

"He didn't give her that much, Ukon." The first head replies.

"Ungh!" I make the sound as loud as I can, making them look at me again. I give them the best death stare I can muster, but it doesn't work. The one named Sakon starts laughing as Ukon chuckles asking,

"What the hell was that supposed to be?" Unable to answer him, I roll my eyes, curse them in my mind and let sleep consume me. Stupid two-headed freak show.

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**Gaara POV

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Escaping my sand is impossible. It just isn't done. Ever. How did this girl do it? Is she magical or something? Where did she go? She can't go back to Konoha. Tsunade would just-Tsunade. Keia's sensei. One of the Legendary Sannin.

…I have to find that magical Kunoichi.

I rush into the house and find Temari and Kankuro relaxing on the couch watching T.V. with Rei.

"Keia isn't on a mission for me." I announce, letting them know that I had lied about her whereabouts.

"What?" Temari starts, looking alarmed.

"She ran away. Yesterday. I thought she'd come back. But.. I think she's in trouble." I wish I didn't have to explain all of this. I have the same feeling in the pit of my stomach I had when Rei and Keia were attacked by Sasuke. This cannot be a good sign. Temari grabs her fan as Kankuro readies his puppets.

"Where do you think she is?" Rei asks adjusting the kunai pouch on her right thigh.

"You're not coming. We don't have the time to watch over you. Especially if we have to fight someone to save Keia."

"I don't need someone to watch over me. I can take care of myself." She argues.

"…so, you're a ninja now?" Kankuro pipes up.

'No! I am _**NOT**_ a stinking ninja!" She declares defiantly.

"Only ninja are allowed on this mission." I turn to leave with my siblings, but she catches my arm.

"Then I'm temporarily a ninja…until we find Keia at least." Her blue eyes plead silently with me to let her come along.

"There's no such thing as a temporary ninja." I pull my arm out of her grip and open the door.

"I'm coming whether you want me to or not. She's my best friend and I'm not going to stay here and do nothing to bring her back when I **can** help." Her stare is colder than ice as she grabs Kankuros arm and drags him out the front door. "Come on Kankuro, we're going to find Keia."

My brother looks back at me and Temari before turning back around and walking off beside her. Temari looks at me and raises an eyebrow.

"She's got spunk." She walks down the steps and I shut the door, following her.

"No, she's got guts. More so than anyone I've ever encountered." I quicken my pace as I go to join Rei and Kankuro to decide where to look. _'She's the first person to ever stand up to me. To defy me. So, this is what it feels like to not get what you want. Hm…I don't like it.'_ I keep my thoughts to myself as we reach the entrance to my village, and take off in the dim light of the setting sun.

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**Temari POV

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'_I can't believe that girl stood up to Gaara. She's got to be completely mental. No one defies him. Ever. It's just not something you do-if you value your life. I can't believe he didn't kill her right then and there. He must be in shock…'_ I conclude looking at my baby brothers determined face. _'He really wants to get Keia back…he doesn't love her…does he?'_ I contemplate my question for a moment before smiling at my stupidity. _'No, of course he doesn't. He doesn't love anyone.'_ I gently shake my head as we quicken our pace. Gaara keeps looking around us as if he's paranoid. We travel through the night, but find no sign of Keiatami anywhere.

This is very, _very_ bad. Where could she possibly be? And why would she leave? Oh, no! We left Kiba there alone! Crap. He's going to destroy the- what's that _smell?_ I look back and see the dog-boy catching up to us. I guess we didn't leave him there after all.

"Where are you going and why didn't you tell me? He complains as his dog whines in agreement. I sigh and explain everything that had happened since Gaara got home. His expression goes from anger to shock, to anger again before finally changing to worry. I sure hope Keia doesn't give us any problems on the way back. I'm not sure Kiba, Gaara, and Rei would refrain from knocking her out and chaining her to someone if she does.

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**Rei POV

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Keia is dead. She's dead. I know it. She's lying somewhere in a ditch, bleeding to death. Or her corpse is chilling. Because nothing, nothing short of death would make her do this. Maybe, though, maybe she's not dead. Maybe she's alive somewhere. That's the only reason I'm not huddled in a corner, crying. She's been captured by some sweet old granny and being stuffed with cookies. Tied down. Tightly. The thought that she's staying by choice hurts more than if she's dead. If she's found some hot rain-village ninja and is off making out and having a great time…NO! She's dead! Chopped into little bits and washed down a storm drain! I should tell Gaara to send another search party out to search storm drains for Keia's remains! Of course, it's not as though he'd do it. I'm surprised I'm not dead already. Even _I'll_ admit I was off my rocker to go against Gaara. He'll kill me later, I'm sure. But I don't have time to worry about Gaara or him killing me. Keia is my best friend and she's missing. I can't think where she might…Crap! Orochimaru-sama…he couldn't…no! I pick up my pace, pushing chakra into my limbs to go even faster, ignoring the protests from my legs and Kankuro, and the surprise from him as I climb a tree and continue through the branches even faster. I never thought I'd be going back to Oto. I still don't want to, but I'll be damned if I'm even going to risk her being _**there. **_Keia, you idiot! How could you go out alone?

When I find her, if she's alive, she's going to be _**dead.

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**Kankuro POV

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Not a ninja, my ass! That girl is on a mission. (Well, obviously, but you know what I mean.) I've never seen her so focused. I didn't know she could move so fast. She takes a turn, and starts heading a little more east.

"Rei! _Where_ the hell are you going?" I wait a moment and realize I'm being ignored _again._ I push more chakra into my legs and they burn, but I'm catching up.

"Rei!" Nothing, "Rei! REI!" I reach out and barely smack her arm. The next thing I know, I'm pinned against the tree and Rei's eyes are glaring into mine. They're puffy and red and she's soaked in sweat and tears.

"What?"

I swallow. "Nothing, lead the way." She nods and sniffs, wipes her sleeve across her face, then launches off again at her exhausting pace.

"What was that all about? Where are we going?" My sister asks, pausing beside me, Kiba and Gaara join her, but Gaara watches Rei.

"I really don't know. But she does, we just need to keep up with her." Gaara growls something and it sounds a bit like 'temporary ninja' before he shoots off like a rocket after her. I shrug and follow, leaving dog-boy and Temari confused in the tree.

Rei pushes herself to go faster and I inwardly groan. If we reach her destination we won't be in any shape to fight. Going this fast for this long was definitely going to kill us.

"We need to rest for tonight." Gaara announces slowing down slightly.

"We don't have time to rest! We have to find Keia! Let's go!" Rei takes off again as Gaara scowls before sending his sand after her.

"I said, we are stopping here for the night." He growls bringing her unconscious body to the ground in his sand while the rest of us collapse on the ground trying to catch our breath. We silently get our food out of our packs as Temari lights a small fire for us. Gaara glowers at the fire as we eat. That dumbass dog-boy asks him if he's going to release Rei, but Gaara's bone-chilling stare stops him before he even finishes his sentence. No one says another word for the rest of the night.

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**Keia POV

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"Don't touch me." I growl as Kidomaru reaches for my arm-again. Kabuto hadn't given me any medicine since last night. I don't know why, nor do I really care. The two-headed freak show was replaced by spider-dude a few hours after I woke up. The redheaded girl from yesterday had come by and given me my pack back, without the weapons of course.

"But your skin is so soft and…tantalizing." He extends another one of his arms towards me and I hit one of the chakra points in it, making it fall limply to his side.

"My skin hates you, just like the rest of me." I state moving farther away from him for the millionth time that hour. His face contorts in rage and he lunges for me. I barley dive out of the way in time. As I try to regain my footing, he lunges again. I jump, kicking him in the head and diving to the opposite side of the room. I extend my hands as the floor rushes up at me and flip myself over, landing on my feet. I look up at the place where Kidomaru had been. I catch my breath in anticipation seeing that he's moved. I quickly scan the room, exhaling when I don't see him. I hear a small noise above me and quickly look up. He smiles before dropping down on top of me. I try to throw myself out of the way, but he pounces on my legs, bringing the rest of my body crashing to the floor. I try to catch myself with my hands but I don't move them fast enough, and my face and upper body hit the hard cement with a sickening smack. Almost immediately I taste blood in my mouth and feel a searing pain in my nose and cheekbones.

"See what happens when you try to fight me?" He asks crawling over my body. In a daze, I roll over and tentatively reach up to my face. I gently touch my nose and find that it's not broken, amazingly enough. Kidomaru's tanned face blocks everything else from my vision as he stares down at me. He pins my arms down, then reaches to my face with another one of his arms and gently drags his index finger across my lower lip. I can feel my blood smear on my face and he pulls his finger away. It's shiny with my blood and he looks at it for a split second before bringing it to his lips and _licking it off._ I shudder involuntarily and the corners of his mouth twist up. I start squirming, trying to free myself from his grasp, but fail. He lets out a dark chuckle before lowering his face to mine and licking the oozing blood from my split lower lip and chin. I struggle harder, positive that no one is coming to my rescue.

"Stop it! Get off of me **NOW**!" I scream, struggling in desperation. Without a word, he pulls his head back and licks his lips clean of my blood. With a dark smile, he lowers his head back down to mine.

"You don't have to be such a bitch." His hot breath hits my face, making my eyes water.

"Orochimaru-sama didn't give you permission to do that." Kabuto grabs the back of spider-dudes shirt and throws him across the room. Before I can move away from him, he grabs my upper arm and lifts me to my feet.

"Don't come near her again. We need her alive." With that said, he walks out of the room, leaving Kidomaru there dazed and angry in a pile of arms on the floor. Stumbling along behind him, I notice a dull ache in my knees and a minor throbbing pain in my left ankle. Kabuto leads me to his makeshift lab/hospital and gives me a dose of the drug from yesterday before healing my injuries. I really hate this place. Where is Gaara when you need him?

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**A/N- Okay, Okay, I know it's been forever. I apologize. I should have updated sooner, I have a TON of chapters written. I just haven't gotten around to typing them up. I'm working on it though! One day I shall have this story finished! :D Anywho, I'm going to try to get at LEAST get ONE chapter a month out. Surely I can handle that? Anywho, PLEASE REVIEW! 3**


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